Twilight of the Gods
by Al Kristopher
Summary: Sequel to Midsummer Night's Scheme and Zero City Trilogy. Team Rocket has finally monopolized the world of Pokemon, and it will be up to Ash, Brock, Gary, James, Jessie, & Misty to stop them! Will be much darker than it sounds.
1. Conquest

Al Kristopher presents

The final movement in a three-part saga:

A story of friendship, struggles, power, and what is worth fighting for.

****

TWILIGHT

of

__

The Gods

Part One: Conquest

The sky was painted with the color of blood as a flaming-hot sun rose up from its bed in the horizon. All should have been quiet on that crimson morn, yet the distinct sounds of helicopters broke through what little silence there had been. From the same horizon where the sun emerged, a small convoy of choppers rose into the air, dominating the sky like mighty eagles. Their blades created a roar in the air, their speed sent anything around it shivering, and even heaven itself parted for the mechanical raptors as they scoured the globe for their prey.

It was more like watching a group of Valkyries swoop through the air than anything else. Like the mighty goddesses of ages past, the choppers soared through the air, choosing warriors for the final battle where all would be decided and destroyed. Yet it was not fallen heroes that these battle-lords and maidens sought, but Pokemon instead, the rarest and most powerful of all kinds. From the safety of the helicopters above, Pokeballs began raining down upon the ground, snatching anything that was within range into its impenetrable shell.

Normally, of course, all this would be an impossibility. For one, there was hardly anyone left in the world that knew the location of very many rare species. It would have been harder still to capture one via the air, unless one wanted a flying Pokemon, and nearly impossible by just lobbing balls randomly. But no, this was not the work of fools and novices; this was the doing of Team Rocket, and the one who had orchestrated such a campaign knew exactly what he was doing.

Giovanni, the brilliant and powerful leader of the organization, had four secret weapons in his possession. One of them was a Pokemon radar that gave the exact location of any known Pokemon in the world, with almost-perfect accuracy. This included even the rarest of all creatures, as well as strong ones and the more unusual species. Being able to find the best Pokemon already gave him an advantage, but Giovanni had three weapons to spare.

Inside his main computer banks was his next weapon, a massive treasure trove of information that had been downloaded from the banks of a city originating from the future (it was a long story to explain, so it would have been best just to brush it off as that). The information contained nearly everything there was to know about all kinds of Pokemon, including those yet undiscovered. This was advantageous to his scientists, and worked wonders if the radar failed.

A more impressive weapon was the blueprint to easily mass-produce Master Balls, the rarest and most powerful of all Pokeballs. With the ability to create an endless supply of them, Giovanni could easily monopolize the market within a month--and this was exactly what he did. However, the only way he accomplished such deeds was from the use of his fourth and perhaps most impressive weapon, two very special agents of Team Rocket.

Jessica Earp and James Wyatt had been terminated long ago, and the last Giovanni heard of them, they were killed in an inferno during a confrontation with his newest agents. So much the better, he figured; those two were worthless anyway (Meowth, on the other hand, mourned bitterly for the loss). Butch and Cassidy had their fine points and were effective, but they just didn't carry the lethal edge and the dominating presence that the newest members did.

Marion Jane Burke and Morrison Hicock Glidden were no ordinary agents, and even that was putting things gently. They used to be professional assassins until Giovanni hired them, one a sadistic and uncontrollable woman, the other a brutal and powerful man. They replaced Jessie and James and had since earned their place in Team Rocket's highest elite (they were in fact second-in-command next to Giovanni himself), although even they failed during their first mission, but it couldn't be helped. But from that cloudy day onward, they had excelled and blew away anything obstructing them.

As well as the interloping young kids that always foiled their predecessors' plans, or so they believed. Marion and Morrison had last left Ash, Brock, and Misty to die a terrible death by fire, in a bleak area of the city from the future, where they took the radar and blueprint that propelled Team Rocket into Pokemon global domination. They believed that Jessie and James perished with them, so there really were no more obstacles left to prevent Team Rocket from executing its greatest campaign ever.

And so, as the helicopters spread out across the world and began harvesting hundreds of Pokemon (whether tamed, bred, wild, or created; it didn't matter), the people began to know the true might of Team Rocket, and the devastating powers and minds behind it. They slowly began to lose hope, even the wish that a hero would step forth and be brave enough to cease all the madness…

---------------

Meanwhile, the citizens of Pallet Town had gathered together in the square to watch and listen to the grim news. Any outside observer would simulate the scene to a town suffering from war: the people were huddled together in fear, mothers holding their children close and fathers watching intently. Puddles of rain from a recent storm dotted the roads, and a sky filled with dark blood hung overhead as the sun emerged from its rest. Normally, Pallet would be bustling with activity, but all mouths were quiet and all bodies were still as the news was spat out.

"_…Ladies and gentlemen, we have entered into a dark period of history. Never before has the lives of so many people and Pokemon been affected by a single organization. We have just received confirmation that the infamous Team Rocket is now officially responsible for the wave of terror that has overtaken this world. Their plans are plainly nothing short of the monopolization of all the world's Pokemon, and they will apparently go to great lengths to achieve this goal._

"Unfortunately, there is no way the authorities of the world can stop this madness, as the leader of Team Rocket has a perfectly legitimate license to capture Pokemon, as does any normal trainer. Police forces and judicial forces across the world are working diligently for a means to arrest this leader on some other counts, but no word has been made yet. The Pokemon authorities across the world have gathered together to issue a warning to all Pokemon owners, that they are not to engage in battle or else display their Pokemon publicly, else they be captured by Rocket.

"We advise all trainers to keep a low profile during this time, in order to preserve their own Pokemon. This is a dark time for everybody, but the patience and cooperation of the public is appreciated. Until such a time comes that order can be achieved again, please remain calm, keep a low profile, and take your Pokemon to a safe place where they'll be out of sight. This is all we can do for now. Reporting from GNN, this is Marlon Dash."

Professor Oak turned the television off, and seeing as the revered old man had something to say, all the other televisions and radios were deactivated as well. He cleared his throat and searched through his mind for a way to calm the nerves of his fellow Palletians, but in that dark hour of chaos and fear, even his words would do little to help. Before he could speak, though, there came a sigh and a moan from the crowd.

"It's all our fault… all of it. If we had only stopped them from taking those items with them, none of this would've happened…"

"Now now, James, nobody's blaming any of us," replied a voice directly next to him. The young man named James W. Wyatt frowned as his friend and partner, Jessica B. Earp, placed a supporting hand on his. "You know full well that there was no way we could have stopped them."

"But, Jessie…"

"She's right, you know," added a young man named Brock. He looked up, into the eyes of his friends, and did his best to comfort them. "Not even the five of us put together stood a chance. Those two people were way too skilled and powerful for any of us to handle. It's a miracle we've been able to escape them for this long!" Brock was of course referring to their last encounter with Team Rocket--the newest members of Team Rocket, and by far the deadliest.

Ash, Brock, James, Jessie, and Misty had underwent a task to stop Team Rocket from plundering priceless items from a city that came from the future. They all worked hard and fought bravely, but even their combined skills were (as Brock correctly put it) no match for the might of Rocket. The five friends had barely escaped from the city with their lives, after nearly getting killed twice by the duo. James' lament was understandable but nobody blamed him at all.

"I guess so," sighed poor James. "But still, I can't help but feel that way."

"It's all perfectly reasonable, but let's not sit around wallowing in our own pity for long." The gathered people of Pallet Town looked over to see that Professor Oak was finally ready to talk, and as he stood to rally the citizens, a faint glimmer of impossible hope sprang up in their hearts. "We obviously can't just sit here and watch as the world of Pokemon goes to ruin. We have to do something!"

"But Professor, you heard what that man on the TV was saying!" exclaimed Ash. "We're not supposed to fight! He said that it would just be a waste of time, or something…" Misty, who was sitting right next to him, growled in annoyance.

"Oh, so I suppose you want all those poor helpless Pokemon to be captured by Team Rocket?"

"Well no, but--"

"But nothing! Ash, the Professor is right! We've got to do something!"

"Saying we need to do something and actually doing it are two very different things." This voice came from Gary Oak, the Professor's grandson, who had came back to his hometown after hearing about the news. Now that he had attention drawn towards him, he spoke up again. "You want to stop Team Rocket, but how're you gonna do it? In case you haven't noticed, they're kinda a large company."

"Team Rocket is even more dangerous than you may realize," added James. "This comes from a person who knows. Jess and I were pretty awful while we were there, but I hate to admit that there may be agents even worse than us."

"Besides, they have the advantage of numbers, as well as resources and strength," added his partner. "Unless you want this entire town of civilians to launch a head-on assault against an army of well-trained agents, I'd suggest you start thinking of something quick."

"I don't think that would be a good idea anyway," noted the Professor as he crossed his arms. "Even _if_ the people of Pallet Town were to volunteer, hitting Team Rocket's main base would be most unwise. Their defenses are too good, and with the addition of these newest tools, they'll practically be indestructible. The odds are too well-stacked against us for us to do anything really spectacular.

"But…" He ended his sentence there, leaving everyone in suspense for a time. "But… if we can slowly chip away at them, taking them out little by little, gaining allies from all over the world in our mission, we may yet stand a chance. This is going to be the most difficult thing any of us has ever done before, so I want everybody to contribute as much as they can."

"Huh? Do you have a plan, Professor?" Oak nodded his head, making Ash all the more curious. "Well, what is it?"

"…Let's call it… 'a last resort'. Yes, this will be an emergency maneuver, and one I don't feel too comfortable calling upon, but it _has_ to be done! I may regret it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. In the meantime, Ash, I don't want you to worry about the people of Pallet Town. I'll be here guiding them as best as I can. We'll do our part here; it's you I want on the main offensive."

"HUH? ME?" Taken aback by his mentor's words, Ash (and Gary) could only gape in surprise, but Oak certainly wasn't joking.

"Aside from Jessie and James themselves, you're the only one in this whole town who has the most experience with Team Rocket. Besides, you've become a rather experienced Pokemon trainer over the years. Therefore, I want you to be on the offensive against Team Rocket. You're going to be the one who attacks them directly, hitting them hard and fast without getting caught yourself. I know it sounds like a lot--"

"It's more than a lot!!" shouted Ash in protest. "Professor, there's no way that I can--"

"But I believe that you have the ability to do this," stated Oak firmly, ignoring the interruption. "Or you will in the future. Ash… we all have a road in life which we must follow--a destiny, if you will, that each of us chooses on our own. Mine was to research Pokemon, and yours…"

"But Professor!!"

"Have a little more confidence in me, Ash," sighed Oak gently. "This will be your greatest test ever, the defining moment in which you shed off the skin of a boy and put on the new body of a man, so to speak. This will be a test of maturity and skill, a test to determine if you truly do have the stuff it takes to be a Pokemon Master."

Ash could only sit still and absorb what his mentor told him. It was true that he had his doubts, and with the recent goings-on in the world, he was beginning to feel just as hopeless as everybody else. He certainly didn't feel ready to face such a daunting task--stopping Team Rocket when they were at full, unstoppable power seemed impossible--and even though Oak said he believed in the young boy, Ash still…

"But you have little cause to worry. You will not be going into this battle alone." Ash snapped free from his thoughts and gazed at Oak again, then at Brock and Misty, who had been traveling with him for as long as he could remember. They both gave him warm smiles and scooted next to him.

"You didn't think we'd let you do this by yourself, now?" said the older boy. "There's no way that Misty and I would ever let you face such dangers by yourself."

"Yeah, we're your friends!" she agreed. "Through thick and thin, warmth and cold, ease and difficulty, we'll be there always!"

"…You guys…" Too moved to speak, Ash could only smile. Suddenly, Jessie and James got in with them, squishing the poor boy as they joined the trio.

"Hey, don't forget about us!" she squealed. "We're your friends, too! You've been nothing but kind and caring towards us, and it's the least we can do if we make sure you're safe!"

"Besides, we owe that lousy stinking Team Rocket for not appreciating us!" added James. "They deserve a good thrashing for putting us down all the time!" Ash smiled at his two newest friends, and as Pikachu emerged and counted himself in as well, things seemed a bit better.

"All right… I'm sorry for doubting you, Professor. But still, what do you think the five of us could do?"

"Five?" he parroted in confusion. "Ash, from what I can tell, your group's got six people in it!"

"Huh? Does Pikachu count?"

"No, no! I mean to say that my grandson Gary will be joining you as well!"

"_What? GARY?!_" Ash was barely able to choke out his disbelief before his archrival stepped up, smiled, and gave a cocky thumbs-up.

"Yeah, that's right! Me! What, you got a problem with that, Ash?"

"Of course I have a problem with that, Gary!" shouted the young boy. "Why in the world would I let _you_ come with _me?_ Aren't you on a Pokemon journey? This doesn't concern you!"

"I am happy to inform you that you are wrong, Ash Ketchum!" stated Gary firmly, sending Ash into a confusion. "Gramps asked me to come along with you so you could have some extra help, and considering you and your choice of friends, not to mention the current situation, I'd say you're gonna need as much help as you can get!"

"WHY YOU--!"

"Hold on, he's right!" stated Misty as she pulled Ash away from a potential fight. "Gary's right, Ash. As much as he may annoy you, he's also going to be a big help. One more person with experience with Pokemon could help us out a lot!"

"Besides," added the boy's grandfather, "Gary has at least the same amount of experience as you do, if not more. It would be like there's two of you going at it instead of just one! Besides, you two need to settle your differences, and what better way than by traveling together and working on the same side for once?" Ash growled in protest, not liking the idea of teaming up with his rival at all, but even he could swallow his pride and learn when to give in. Reluctantly, Ash let out a sigh and "allowed" Gary to come along with him and his friends.

"Oh, all right. I guess a little help's better than none at all…" Gary smiled and belted out a single laugh as he joined the five friends, making the group number six.

"Ha! I'm glad you see things my way, Ash! With me along, even _you're_ bound to succeed!" Ash growled as Gary's ego continued to grow, but since he would need the help so badly, he just bore it all silently. Oak, on the other hand, seemed satisfied that things were going fairly well.

"Right, well, I'm glad that's settled. Now, as for an offensive…"

"Oh yeah, what kind of plan do you have for us, Professor?" asked Brock. Oak cupped his chin in thought before answering.

"Well, about that one option that I didn't want to use… I think we should use it. Gary, Ash, about twelve miles northeast of this town is a special airport that holds airplanes for hire. The manager of that airport is an old friend of mine named Rutherford. He knows Gary a little, so he'll let you in without any trouble."

"So this Rutherford guy can help us out?" wondered Jessie. Oak shrugged.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure. I wouldn't stake a lot of hope on it, but it's a start. If he can't help, he'll know somebody who will--but he should be able to give you something. I have just one thing to warn you about, though."

"What's that, gramps?" Oak paused for suspense once again before answering.

"A man that goes by the name of Thatcher. He's a wild card, and I wouldn't trust him all that much, either. Rumor has it that he's called the 'Shark of the Skies'; a regular pirate if you ask me. Just keep an eye out for him and you'll be safe."

"Ahh, who's worried?!" boasted Gary proudly. "I'm sure that I can get on his good side if we ever run into each other. But anyway, twelve miles northeast, right?" The Professor nodded his head.

"Into an airport, talk to Rutherford, and avoid Thatcher. Got it?" Gary smiled and gave his grandfather a cool smile.

"Hey, this isn't rocket science--oh, whoops, sorry for the bad pun."

"It doesn't bother us," replied James with a smile. For some odd reason, he was beginning to like Gary. Narcissists just seemed to enjoy the company of each other better. "Anyway," he continued, changing the subject flawlessly, "we should go as soon as possible. Team Rocket's already done enough damage; let's hope they don't do any more." The other five members of the team agreed, and stood up out of the cold damp streets of the town to rise for their destiny, or something like that. They all began walking out of the town, but Ash's mother stopped him.

"Ash…?"

"Huh? Mom? What do you want?" Mrs. Ketchum paused for awhile as she gazed at her son, her eyes bleary and her body shivering. Wordlessly, she drew him in for a hug, perhaps her last ever, and squeezed him tight.

"Be careful, Ash!" she whispered. "I… I don't want you to do anything foolish! You're my only son, remember, so please… take care of yourself! Try… not to do anything that would make me worry or sad, okay? And… make sure to listen to any good advice your friends may give you!" She desperately kissed his face a few times, embarrassing him to no end.

"Aww! MOOOOMMM!!" His mother hugged him closer anyway, giving him a last kiss before letting him go. Her eyes were watery, and her cheek had tears trailing down it softly. Apparently, she was even more worried than her son.

"You look so handsome and grown-up already…" she whispered. Both Gary and Misty snorted, rolling their eyes as they disagreed.

"Hmph, that's a matter of opinion…" They stared at each other as they shared the same thought, shrugged, and bade the town farewell as they started their long hard journey.

Professor Oak had not been joking when he said all the stuff about this being Ash's most dangerous mission ever, and his rite of passage into adulthood. Even with five reliable allies with him, the journey to stop Team Rocket from total domination was going to be an impossible one. They had technology, strength, skill, and numbers on their side, not to mention the unstoppable duo of Marion and Morrison, as well as the vast new army of Pokemon they were taking for their own.

Their journey began, as all journeys began, with but a single step forward, northeast towards the only hope they had to hold onto, into the horizon where the sun climbed higher into a red sky…

To be continued…


	2. Slaughter

Part Two: Slaughter

The mighty Team Rocket was more of a complex machine now than a mere organization. Its helicopters soared overhead, clouding the skies black with their noisy presence. Their boats ran through oceans and rivers, scattering the waves and the life within in fear. Their cars roamed the roads with diabolical agents in tow, their tanks overran the land as they wheeled across the plains, and their underlings spread their dark claws across the world, suffocating everything with their grip of death.

Yet it was the main headquarter base which was most abuzz with activity. Rising up high like a momentous sentinel to declare its unquestioned supremacy, Team Rocket headquarters was now everything its creator had intended it to be: a symbol of power, of fear, and of complete and unquestioned control, where the weak were preyed upon and the strong smashed everything in their path. And deep inside this lair of throbbing strength was the mastermind of the entire operation, Giovanni Rocket.

He sat on his chair like an Emperor on a throne of gold--or else a deadly spider poised in the middle of their web, waiting for more foolish insects to fly inside his trap. A Persian was nestled in his lap, content to be stroked and to be placed in the seat of honor. Nothing else was so close and loyal to Giovanni, not even his greatest agents of all--though they were nearest. The man was alone in his room, though, content to silently reap in the benefits of his labors, as well as the invaluable efforts of his two best agents. For every hour that passed, another successful report (or several of them) was sent in to him, telling of how a rare or powerful Pokemon had been captured and categorized. Hearing about one single victory used to be a sign of good news for Team Rocket, but now that Giovanni had extraordinary tools at his disposal, hearing of a hundred was now commonplace. Every agent that he had was out there in the world, capturing Pokemon and sending terror across the land as the unquestioned rule of Rocket finally took place.

Everyone, that is, except for his best: Marion and Morrison. Too valuable to waste on a mere hunting expedition, Giovanni kept them close at hand, waiting patiently for his domination to take effect. The two assassins-turned-Rocket Agents certainly seemed happy to sit and wait for orders, and to bask in the glory of their fabulous efforts. They had good reason to be content--after all, it was through them that the rest of the world was now in such anarchy.

With no hope of sanity and salvation for the people to cling to, it was only a matter of time before Team Rocket announced its domination of the world--not just the world of Pokemon, but with such power at their fingertips, the entire literal world as every living creature knew it, and perhaps beyond…

--------------------

Walking twelve miles in the same direction was something that everyone in the group of six had gotten accustomed to. The path was sparse and quiet, for most of the remaining Pokemon there had learned to run and hide from the evil menacing grasp of Team Rocket. Nobody in the entourage was concerned about the quiet; they had gotten used to it after spending similar long hikes by themselves and with others. Gary had his crew of girls, Jessie and James had Meowth (who was loud enough to account for a whole group on his own), and Ash's team had each other.

Their destination was an airport to the northeast, where they would meet an old friend of Professor Oak, named Rutherford. Oak had said that Rutherford was a bit of a last resort, but considering the desperate situation the world had been thrust into, even the wildest of cards had to be played. It was not the journey that fatigued Ash, though, but the newest member of "his" team: his lifelong archrival, Gary Shigeru Oak.

_I still don't see why the Professor had to put Gary in with us,_ murmured Ash to himself. _Sure we need the extra help, but… Gary? He'd probably do more harm than good, thinking about himself all the time and doing nothing but bragging! He's as bad as Jessie and James used to be!_

"Ash?" said Misty, clearing out his thoughts. "You look like you're really deep in thought. Is something on your mind?"

"Now how in the world would you know if he were in deep thought, Mistina?" laughed Gary. "Ashy-boy's never been much of a thinker! How can you tell if he's never showed it!?"

"Be quiet, Gary!!" snapped Ash angrily. "For your information, I was just thinking about why Professor Oak asked you to come along with us! I know we need the help, but… this doesn't concern you!" Instantly, Gary whirled around and glared at his rival, but not in a nasty or conceited way. There was pure anger in his eyes, holy retribution that begged to smite the injustice spat out at him.

"How dare you say something like that!! In case you haven't noticed, _Ash_, the entire _world_ is under the control of Team Rocket, almost! The entire WORLD! I'm as much involved in this as you are, and your friends, and everyone in Pallet and all across the world! Don't you get it? Grandpa sent me to follow you guys so that I could protect this world from danger!"

"But…"

"I may be only a kid, but even I know when something is good enough to protect!" he continued, his own speech giving him the passion to go on. "My goal as a Pokemon trainer is insignificant next to this new undertaking! All of the training that I went through in order to become a Master will only truly pay off here! I _just_ want to save the very lives that are put through this horror! I only want to protect those people and Pokemon who cannot protect themselves! So… next time you think nobody's involved in this, why don't you just shut your mouth? It'll save a lot of people some annoyance!" With a huff, Gary bolted back around and left Ash utterly stunned.

A moderate silence passed.

"Well it's _about time_ somebody said that!" exclaimed Misty. She smiled and continued to praise Gary's speech despite Ash's shock. "Wow! I never though I'd be so happy! Somebody finally put that little brat in his place!"

"_MISTYYYYY!!!_"

"Oh, be quiet, Ashley!" she sighed gently. "You needed to hear that and you know it! The Professor said that this journey would be good for your maturity, so go ahead and grow up, or you'll be left behind!" And with that, Misty gave him a _humph_ and joined Gary, who didn't bother to hide his smile. Ash's mouth was as wide as a cave, his eyes big as plates, and his entire body catatonic. Brock, who understood Ash a little better than girls or rivals, patted his shoulder gently.

"Look, they may be right, but I guess sometimes they forget how young they are. I'll bet most of what they just said can be applied to them, too."

"…Yeah…" he sighed, "but… I guess… they're right. I do need to grow up a little. Hey, Misty?"

"Yes, Mr. Ketchum?" she sang coyly. Ash smiled as he called out to her.

"I'm sorry for being such an immature little boy!"

"Apology accepted, Mr. Ketchum!"

"And Gary!"

"What?"

"I'm sorry for accusing you of not having any involvement! But that doesn't mean that I like you any better!"

"Apology accepted, Captain Ketchum," chuckled Gary. "And I can't stand you any less, either!"

"That's okay by me," replied Ash, keeping his smile. "As long as we can work together to take Team Rocket down and bring peace to the world, I really don't care if you like me or not!" Gary kept his smile as well, placing his arms behind his head as he walked.

"Deal!"

"Oh, boy," moaned Jessie. "This is beginning to sound like a bad soap opera!"

"Tell me about it!" wailed James. "Are we there yet?"

"Nope!" exclaimed Misty happily. "We've got about eleven and a half miles to go!"

"Eleven and a half?" whined the former Rocket. "But I don't know if I can last that long!"

"Oh, please shut up, James…"

The six comrades traveled long and far over the countryside, walking across a great dirt path that had been cut into the countryside centuries before. The sky was deceptively blue and the sun was doing its best to make the day a golden one, but there was just not enough activity in the world. The land had been stripped of Pokemon, from the uncommon to the ordinary, leaving almost nothing left to wander the world. Everything, from bred creatures to domesticated ones, had been taken by Team Rocket's massive campaign, and that had been just their first major wave of attack. Giovanni doubtless wanted every Pokemon in the world for himself, and he had the means to easily achieve this goal.

But the world itself was still beautiful, with lovely fields of grass below and mighty mountains towering above, defying the threats that engulfed the world. Twelve miles were devoured up in three hours as the sextet traveled across the land from one town to the next, with a few extra minutes added on for necessary breaks. Although Jessie and James complained their mouths off in the first hour, by the time everyone was ten miles away from Pallet, even their pampered bodies were beginning to feel tougher and more mature.

Ash noticed that Misty, James, and Jessie were spending quite a bit of time with Gary. Misty supposedly admired the redhead for putting Ash in his place, and people who only loved themselves usually got along great. Brock stuck by Ash, claiming that he understood the younger boy better than any girl, rival, or egotist would, of which he was grateful for the company. Gary's bragging got annoying quickly, but not to the others.

"They don't have a display case big enough to show off all the badges I won!" he would say. "Sure, Ash found a dozen or so, but that's child's play compared to what I got! There's probably badges in my coat pocket that he's never even heard of!"

"Wow, how fascinating!" exclaimed both Jessie and James, ogling Gary's collection. "If you were a member of Team Rocket along with us, there's no way that we would have lost as many times as we did!"

"HA!"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" snarled Ash. Jessie gave him a warm smile.

"Oh, don't blow your top, Ash. I'm actually quite glad that we fought you on our own. If we had Gary's help, we would've never been fired from Team Rocket!"

"That's right!" added James. "And we never would have met any of you! So I guess we all got lucky on that one, eh? I don't believe in destiny too much, but I'd say that fate chose for us to lose intentionally, so we could follow our true calling in life!"

"I… guess so…" murmured Ash. Gary offered his rival a smirk.

"Yeah, you should definitely thank me for being a good guy and not a Rocket! Otherwise, the world would _really_ be in danger!"

"Just be quiet, Gary! We've had enough of your bragging!"

"Ash is right!" agreed Brock. "Fun's fun, but we need to get serious here! Let's not waste any more time talking until we get to that town! C'mon!" With that, Brock ran ahead of the group, apparently with his wind back and his legs strong again. He ran for a good distance before slowing down, so everybody else had to redouble their efforts in order to catch up.

After a few tiring minutes of running and resting, the group managed to come across the airport that Professor Oak had mentioned. Gary was able to get some information about where the Rutherford person his grandfather mentioned was, and led the group into the designated hangar. Inside was an old B-52 Bomber, several mechanics crowding around it like ants over a piece of food, and an elderly gentleman overseeing the whole thing. Gary smiled as he seemed to recognize him, and walked over to the old man to greet him.

"Hey, pops!"

"Huh? Oh! Charles, is that you? How did you manage to stay young all these years? Did you drink from the fountain of youth?"

"Don't be silly, old man! My grandfather's just as old as you are!"

"Ah, so _you're_ his grandson Gary!" exclaimed the old man in surprise. "Well, no wonder I mistook you for him! You look exactly like he did when he was your age!"

"That means that Gary will probably look like Professor Oak when he gets older," noted Misty. Gary heard her but pretended not to. The old man, Rutherford, smiled anyway as he greeted Gary and his friends.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you in person at last, Gary! Are these your friends that your grandfather told me about?"

"Yup," he said with a nod. "This is Brock, a Pokemon breeder, and Misty, a water Pokemon expert. These two are Jessie and James, former members of Team Rocket who are now our friends."

"A pleasure!"

"Likewise!"

"Hey, what about me?!" shouted Ash. Gary frowned in thought as he looked over at the forgotten member of the crew.

"Oh yeah, and some kid named Ash who's from my hometown. My grandpa's trying to teach him how to be a Pokemon expert, but this one may be a lost cause!"

"HEY!!!!!" Old man Rutherford laughed out loud despite Ash's violent-sounding voice, and calmed the area with his merry smile.

"Oh, to be young and so confident of one's abilities…! My, it takes me back when Charles and I used to spar! Oh, those were the days…" He sighed and shook his head, smiling as he polished his glasses from the old memories that had fogged them up.

"Well, can you make a detour before you go too far down Memory Lane?" asked James. "The old Prof told us that you'd be able to help us with the situation. You _do_ know what's going on in the outside world, don't you?"

"Yes, of course, there's hardly anybody that doesn't!" he answered softly. "It's a terrible turn of events for us all, and I'm not sure how much help I can be. Charles was right by making the six of you team up together. With so much knowledge about Team Rocket and Pokemon at your disposal, you're probably the best chance this world has of regaining its sanity."

"So just how exactly can you help us?" wondered Brock. "The Professor said that it was going to be a longshot…"

"Oh, it's a last resort, all right," said Rutherford with a mysterious glint in his eye. "Yes, yes… you see, we never expected things to come to this. I had really hoped that we would never be forced to use 'the machine' ever again…"

"What machine?" The old man didn't answer James' question for awhile; he just turned around and walked away.

"Follow me. I have something to show you--something that will be the last great hope in this war…" Old man Rutherford crept towards a staircase that nobody had noticed was there, and slowly climbed down into the lower levels, with everybody else slowly filing after him. A door was at the very bottom of the stairs, which led to a dimly-lit hallway. A final door was at the very end of the long corridor, and behind that portal was a sight so amazing that everybody froze in amazement.

A gigantic hollow structure had been hidden away beneath the surface of the airport, something similar to a port dock. Cranes and people wandered around the area, all of them centering around a single massive structure that looked like a mechanical whale. Its sheer size was behemoth, easily as large as two airships combined, but with more mechanical modifications, like a floating city. It didn't have any propellers, though, and its propulsion seemed to run on a different kind of fuel than standard planes. It was visibly armed to the teeth, with several hidden methods of defense most likely unseen by the casual eye.

"Whoooooooooa! That's amazing!" exclaimed a breathless Ash--along with everybody else. Gary looked ready to give birth.

"Is that what I think it is?!"

"I don't know, what do you think it is?" replied Rutherford casually. Gary swallowed down his surprise and whispered out the answer.

"Is that really… one of the four legendary Dreadnaughts?"

"It is indeed," affirmed the elder. "Perhaps the very last one of its kind. The other two were destroyed in the war, and the last one's missing, presumed lost, leaving this one the only remnant of that great, glorious, and terrifying time. Of course, since then, we've made some modifications on it!"

"Look at the _size_ of that thing!" gawked Misty. "It's gotta be bigger than Cerulean City at least!"

"Oh, this was as big as they made them!" pointed Rutherford with pride. "Nothing else came close! When you wanted to bring out the big guns and wipe out the opposition in a single stroke, you called out the Dreadnaught! Course', since then, we've been trying to restrict the use of this thing. The trouble is that it's a little _too_ powerful, and it sucks up fuel like you wouldn't believe! But… this may be a good time to resurrect it…"

"I don't believe it!" whispered James in awe. "What's it called?"

"The _Euphrates_, a mighty name for a mighty ship!"

"_Euphrates…_" Ash chiseled the name of the legendary vessel into his mind, keeping it forever as a piece of history. He had heard about the four legendary Dreadnaughts from Professor Oak, about how they had sent the world into flames during the last great war (of which Oak and Rutherford had been a part of), and how the final decisive fate of Pokemon had been judged and carried out in order to win the struggle. Now, seeing the refurbished piece of history for his own eyes made him a little more proud to be a trainer--as well as a little more yearning for adventure.

"So is this what Professor Oak wanted you to help us with?" asked Brock. Rutherford nodded his head.

"Yes… But I have some good news and bad news concerning it."

"What news?" Rutherford sighed and turned around so he could face all six of them.

"Well, the good news is that I'm completely willing to let you all borrow this ship. Use it however you feel necessary, and keep it until this entire matter has been solved--but be sure to bring it back once you're done. You'll have entire access to everything aboard, from sleeping quarters to a kitchen with full staff, a bath room, recreation room, computer room with multiple terminals for transferring Pokemon, a medical ward, security forces, and anything else you may need."

"Oh, wow!!" squealed Ash (and nearly everyone else as well). "That's incredible! What kind of bad news could you have after telling us all that?!"

"Well…" Rutherford trailed off slowly, apparently reluctant to reveal just how nasty his news really was. "The thing is… you can't pilot the thing by yourself. You'll need to have someone fly it for you, and there's only one person in the entire world who's qualified to commandeer the Dreadnaught."

"Oh? And who's that?" asked Misty. She got her answer before she knew it as a tall, swaggering, grinning, maniacal-looking man appeared from behind Rutherford, his eyes ablaze and his presence commanding. He was truly dressed like a man of the sea, with a bright-red button-down jacket, rubber boots over his feet and gloves over his hand, a corncob pipe in his mouth, a stubble of hair on his chin, and a ring in each of his ears. His hair was as wild and fiery as his demeanor, and when he spoke, _everybody_ could hear him.

"That'd be me, missy!" he boomed. "The Shark of the Skies! Name's Thatcher, Captain Red Thatcher, of the nastiest dog to ever rip apart the clouds, the indestructible _Euphrates_! Pleasure to meet'cha!"

"Oh no, did he say his name was _Thatcher?_" wailed Ash. Rutherford sighed and nodded his head.

"I see that Professor Oak already warned you about him. Let me assure you that everything you may have heard about this man was an understatement."

"Shaddap, ya crusty old geezer!" bellowed Thatcher as he slapped Rutherford on the shoulder. "These young'uns'll be influenced in a bad way if they hear too many people say bad things about me! Kids, be you the ones who'll be borrowin' this Dreadnaught here??"

"Uhh… y-yes, s-sir…"

"Arr, I thought so!" he growled happily, baring large teeth. "Well, I'll be your spirited Captain, pleased and honored to make the very heavens tremble as we blast through the atmosphere! Heh, hahahahaha!!" He bellowed out an insane laughter, sending everybody reeling back in terror.

"James, he's barbaric!" yelled Jessie hysterically. "I wouldn't set foot on that thing if he were the Captain! Not even to get back at Team Rocket!"

"I'd rather kiss the boss' boots again rather than be on his ship!" wailed James. The large Captain Thatcher laughed and slammed his arms around both of them, smiling more broadly than a whale's body length.

"Ye two young'uns don't have nothin' to worry bout'! These people just don't like me cuz' I ain't got no fear! They say I'm too reckless!"

"You are!" shouted Rutherford. "You're worse than a city full of teenagers! I'd rather not stake the lives of these young ones, _or_ those of the Pokemon, into your hands!"

"But ya don't have a choice, do ya pops?!" grinned Thatcher. Rutherford moaned.

"If I only did…"

"Ahh, why don't'cha go back upstairs and leave all this to me?!" shouted the Captain. "I'm sure I can handle these little'uns! Go on, go on, you've got a rust-bucket to fix up!" Rutherford snorted and frowned angrily, but he could do nothing to brighten the situation, so he shuffled back to where he came from and warned everybody to be careful. As usual, Jessie and James screamed out for help.

"Don't leave us with this madman!"

"He looks like he could _eat_ us!"

"GAAHH-hahahahaha!!!" bellowed Thatcher, squeezing them tighter still. "Ye two crack me up better'n a barrel in the grip of the kraken! Don't you two worry; I'll have you fallin' to pieces all over me in a matter of minutes! So, who's gonna introduce themselves to me first?"

"Uh, Ash will!" spat Gary as he thrust his rival forward. Ash skidded to a halt, but it was too late as his hands were being smashed by Thatcher's.

"Ash? Ash Ketchum, is it? Aha, so you're Oak's little protégé, eh? Well, tis' an honor to meet'cha, lad!" Poor Ash could only give a watery smile as he was shaken out of control, and hope that Gary received the same treatment.

"Uhh… aye-aye, sir!"

"That's a good lad! And who's the fella that pushed ya? Are you Gary Oak?" Gary was grabbed by the big guy as well, pulled into the Captain's grip until he affirmed his identity. Brock was a little more polite and got a simple hearty handshake; poor James nearly fainted as Thatcher grinned at him. When it came time for Misty and Jessie to greet the fiery man, they did so with their hearts pounding and their bodies braced. He kissed them each on the hand, with surprising delicacy.

"And a most gracious honor to meet the beautiful accomplices of these gentlemen," he said softly. Misty and Jessie both let out a sigh, and then a smile.

"He doesn't seem so bad," she shrugged. Jessie agreed.

"For a barbarian, you mean…" Captain Thatcher smiled broadly, saluted the six companions, and marched off to the large vessel docked in the underground port.

"Well, it's an honor! C'mon board and I'll show you my crew! Never has a more loyal group of people ever been assembled! They'd fight and die for me to their very last breath! C'mon, you'll love'm!" He marched on ahead of them, leaving them doubtful at best.

"I have a bad feeling about this," murmured Gary. Ash took a small amount of comfort in the fact that an hour ago, Gary had been confident and sure of himself. Now that he was at the mercy of a maniacal man, he seemed just as timid as everybody else. Feeling more confident, Ash followed Captain Thatcher first, though at a considerable distance.

--------------------

"You called for us, sir?"

"Yes. Don't bother to sit down, this won't take long." Marion and Morrison stood, while their boss rose up from his own chair. The only thing he did was drop a rolled-up sheet of paper. "Take it with you. You'll need it when you look for the weapons."

"What weapons, sir?" asked the gigantic Morrison. Giovanni smiled.

"The ultimate weapons of Team Rocket--the remains of the legendary Dreadnaught, _Amazon_. That map will show you the way to find it, and all you two have to do is follow the dotted line, so to speak. I would not send any ordinary agent on this mission, since it's going to be very dangerous and it's a top priority, so I wanted my best to undertake it. I understand that you will execute my orders with perfection."

"And maybe more," purred Marion as she took the scroll. "Giovanni, you're a wonderful human being. You should get a report from us in 24 hours."

"We'll bring you your weapons in about two weeks, if not less," stated Morrison. "It shouldn't be too hard to meet that deadline."

"I trust it won't," he said with a wicked smile. "Well, good-bye, my prides. You shall be heavily rewarded when you return." With such confident words backing them up, Marion and Morrison quietly bowed out of the office and went on their next deadly mission. Once he had privacy, Giovanni buzzed his secretary.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get me Butch and Cassidy, won't you? I have a job for them as well."

To be continued…


	3. Plague

Part Three: Plague

The six people following Captain Red Thatcher had little time to admire the scenery around them as he led them into the deep bowels of the enormous Dreadnaught. It was unlike any nautical, aerial, or land-based vessel they had ever seen--at best, it was a cross between a naval battleship in full military gear, a radio control tower, a tank, and a 747 jet, but even this did not fully describe what sort of place the _Euphrates_ was. Captain Thatcher was a fast man and he led them through the place quickly, stating (or shouting; it was hard to discern) that they would all get a tour later.

"Just as soon as you meet the main crew!" he exclaimed. "Out of all the people who work for me, there's three of whom I'm particularly fond of! We couldn't run this place without them! I told'em that I'd be havin' guests over in the main meeting room, so they should be around there somewhere. Mind your step." The group quickly adjusted to the sharp drop of floor in the room as Thatcher led them into another room.

Inside was a giant control room equipped with the latest in radar technology (though still not as sophisticated as the device that Team Rocket had brought back from the futuristic city). Multiple computer terminals were layered everywhere in the room, with at least one person monitoring them at all times. In the center was a circular table with exactly thirteen seats, twelve to hold the meeting and one just in case a special guest arrived. Ash, Gary, and their companions were asked to stay standing until the three crewmembers arrived, and Thatcher kept them informed of the vessel until that time came.

"So what exactly is this place?" asked Misty. "I've heard stories, but…"

"The _Euphrates_, put simply, is kind of like a flying fortress. I know it sounds strange to ye kids that a place as big as this can fly, but it's true, to be certain. The old people put all their technology into making this, even using the Pokemon's help to construct it. Since it's the only one left standin', that we know of, there's been lotsa modifications done on it. Course', the best thing they did was make _me_ Cap'n!"

"I readily disagree," murmured James to himself. Thatcher only smiled broader.

"It's got special armor that can withstand four times as much damage as the other models could," he continued. "It has more weapons, as well, and those that were already installed have been improved. This is actually bigger than the others, cuz' of the additions we've put on it. My personal favorite touch are these crazy flying Pokemon that are in just about every room!"

"Oh? And what do they do?" asked Gary. Captain Thatcher pointed to one that was hovering around in the room. It resembled a Voltorb.

"These lil' buggers run up to ya if yer lost, and tell ya the layout of the ship. They're like little maps, if ya will, and they're bloody handy if ya get lost!"

"Oh!" Gary smiled as he looked up at one, and sure enough, it displayed a holographic image of the current room, as well as the surrounding areas.

_:Presently in war room. Designate destination, please:_

"It can talk, too!"

"Nah, that's just some computer program those people put in," waved the Captain. "They're not actually true Pokemon; they're more like copies of Pokemon that were used for that exact purpose. But a bloody good purpose it is, haha…" Gary smiled and nodded his head, and told the creature that he was fine. It flew away looking for more lost people, and just as it arrived at the door, three people stepped out of it--seemingly the three that Thatcher had wanted to introduce.

"Ah, there y'ar!" he shouted with a mighty grin. "Young'uns, these're my best crewmembers, the ones that keep this ship in shape! Meet Jennifer and Joyleen first!"

"Jennifer and who…?" The group of six was confused at first, but when they saw the familiar faces of Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, they smiled and felt at ease. The two women saluted and bowed (respectively), greeting everyone properly.

"I am Officer Jennifer Lee Smith, Chief of Security for the Dreadnaught _Euphrates_!"

"And I'm Nurse Joyleen May Jones, Head of the Medical Ward for the Dreadnaught _Euphrates_!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you all!" they said in unison. Confused, Brock scratched his head. Those two did not share the same appearance of the other Officers or Nurses--Jennifer had a red uniform instead of her blue one, and Joyleen wore pale blue instead of pink. Brock seemed to be a connoisseur of Jennies and Joys, so to see two who were different in name and appearance was puzzling.

"Excuse me, Captain, but why are these two different from all the other Jennies and Joys in the world? I mean, they're not any less pretty, but…"

"We were both hand-selected from our individual academies for our outstanding traits," reported Jennifer. "Consider me a more skilled version of my other cousins. On the other hand, my only precinct is watching over the Dreadnaught, so I'm not as well-traveled as the others."

"It's more of the same for me," said Joyleen. "My studies in medicine were more advanced than the others. I have several high degrees in medicine, but like Jennifer, I only work on the Dreadnaught. Just consider us Captain Thatcher's personal security and medical teams."

"All right," he smiled, "I think I understand. And who's that behind you?" Jennifer and Joyleen parted, revealing a shorter girl who had been hiding behind them quietly. She stepped forth and smiled, instantly charming everybody with her radiant face. She looked like any other girl, wrapped in fine robes of blue, dusky brown, and gold, but her most outstanding feature was her long platinum hair, silvery-blue like liquid metal with just a tiny splash of violet, and tied in a thick, complex braid that fell to her waist. She grinned at everybody, and Brock, as usual, was smitten with her instantly.

"My name is Lenneth," she said, her voice clear and proper, a sound beyond her age. "How do you do?"

"Ahh, Lenneth… what a beautiful name!" gushed Brock. Instantly, he zipped over to her, took her hand, and bowed politely. "What an honor to meet you, Lenneth! My name is Brock, and if you have anything you want or need, feel free to ask me! Would you like to try some of my food?" Lenneth chuckled as Brock swooned over her, and tried to hide her flushed face as he smiled at her.

"Oh, well, um, of course! Ah, are you a good cook?"

"Ash and Misty don't seem to complain!" he stated. Lenneth chuckled again and gave Brock a sweet smile.

"Well, since we'll be working in close quarters anyway, I'm sure that I'll see enough of you to try it out for myself! It certainly was nice meeting you, Brock! And these others?"

KA-POW!!

"My name is Misty," muttered the redhead after smacking Brock. "This is Ash. I keep these boys in line."

"My name is Gary, and I think I'm in love!" He grinned and winked at Misty, who returned his smile perfectly. Ash was doubly steamed and shouted at both his rival and his traveling companion, leaving poor Jessie and James to ignore the squall and focus on the silvery-haired girl.

"Uh, yes… Well, I'm Jessie, and this is my partner James…"

"It really is nice meeting all of you!" he exclaimed, pumping their hands. "You seem so much more sophisticated than that awful Captain Thatcher!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!!! What'd ya say, Jimbo-boy??!!"

"Eek! Errm, nothing, sir!!" Thatcher laughed out loud as James shirked away in terror, slapping his gut until the buttons on his red jacket threatened to pop off. Meanwhile, Brock picked himself up and managed to crawl back over to Lenneth, who looked genuinely concerned for his safety.

"Oh, uh, are you all right, Brock?"

"As long as you keep giving me that sweet smile of yours, I can't be taken down!" Lenneth giggled and blushed a little as she stared down at the floor, then her concern went towards Ash, Gary, and Misty, who were fighting as always.

"Oh, and them?"

"They're always like that," he moaned. "It's best not to interrupt them. They'll tire themselves out really soon. But hey, why don't you show me around the ship?"

"Ah, I'd love to!" she exclaimed happily. "Captain Thatcher, may I show Brock around, please? I promise it won't take more than an hour!" Thatcher grinned at the short girl and knew immediately that her request had more to it than just being polite to guests--much more indeed.

"Heh, sure, why not? Go ahead and take your time! Officer Jennifer, I'm gonna go rest up in my room. Would you take these rascals to their quarters once they're done beating each other up?"

"Umm… sure," managed the police officer. "But… shouldn't I be breaking them up?"

"Nahh, let them fight!" he chortled. "It's good if they get out their frustration now, rather than keeping it in! Wouldn't you agree?" Jennifer meekly nodded her head, and Captain Thatcher bade a hearty farewell to the large crew. Jennifer sighed, but the Captain had a point, in his own unusual way.

"Well, I'm ready to settle in now," said Jessie. "Nurse Joyleen, do you know where our rooms are?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "Would you like for me to take you there?"

"Yes, we're rather bushed." James yawned to prove that he wasn't making things up, and so with her trademark pretty smile, Joyleen took the two former members of Team Rocket to their rooms, leaving Jennifer to watch over Ash, Gary, and Misty. She envied Lenneth heavily--at least the silvery-haired girl had only one person to worry about, and he was an agreeable gentleman.

"Oh, boy," she moaned. "I hope they don't fight like this when the _real_ war starts!"

--------------------

Butch and Cassidy could see Marion and Morrison from a distance, but they weren't exactly anticipating the meeting. Ever since they heard the news that Jessie and James had been permanently removed from Rocket's roster, they had been in a good mood, but the arrival of these new employees sunk them into a new depression. They used to be among the elite of Rocket, admired heavily by Giovanni, but now they were obsolete and outdated, whose only use was perhaps a minor skirmish here or there.

Still, they held their heads high and kept their vision straight. As long as Giovanni was on his throne and Team Rocket was triumphing, they didn't care where their position was, as long as they were part of the whole thing. They were fanatically loyal to Giovanni and his organization, and would have taken any order or decree, even if it was a thankless one. They may have been outclassed by the new arrivals, but they still had their pride.

"Oh, hello there, little children," greeted Marion as she and her partner caught up with Butch and Cassidy. She had a sickeningly-sweet voice, like a violin from Hell, and her raw beauty was a deceptive mask for the monster within. Morrison was equally terrifying, a force of nature wrapped up in the flesh of a human, barely contained by his large stature. It was no surprise that these two had advanced so high: they were like adults in a room full of children.

"Marion, Morrison, good day to you," replied Cassidy in monotone. Morrison's smile was less threatening and warmer, just barely.

"It seems as if the boss has finally found a job suitable for you two. He has been asking for you for awhile."

"Yes, we heard," replied Butch. "It's probably not going to be anything nearly as important as what you're about to do."

"You never know," shrugged the larger man. "Though I wonder… why has the boss been so slack in giving you assignments? I know he sent you out to capture those Venusaur awhile ago, but surely people with your skills may be put to more uses than that!"

"We were probably just given some time to rest," stated Butch emptily. "After all, the boss doesn't want to exhaust his best agents."

"No, that would be unwise," said Marion huskily. "Well, kids, we may be late for our assignment if we don't hurry. You two take care, all right? Don't get any splinters or scars while you're out doing whatever. Heh, heh…"

"Your concern for our well-being is… admirable," managed Cassidy, just barely containing her bitterness. "Marion, Morrison, we may not like or trust you, but if you've launched Team Rocket into its current position single-handedly, then I will respect your power." Marion chuckled darkly at the younger woman, and stalked away to attend to her mission. Morrison smiled and saluted, silently following his partner to their destination. Once they were alone, Cassidy shuddered and hugged herself.

"This is so infuriating…"

"There's little we can do," reasoned Butch. "They're just better than us. The good news is that Jessie and James are gone for good. Those two were a disgrace to the uniform."

"Agreed, though I am a little heartbroken to hear of their deaths. They may have been incompetent, but they didn't deserve such a harsh demise. And don't give me that look--you have just as much of a heart as I do." Butch paused, studying his partner and friend carefully as he considered what she said. Jessie and Cassidy were never really very good friends, even when they knew each other earlier in their lives, but she had a point. It would be cruel to laugh at such a terrible fate.

"…Knowing them, though, they would have survived," he said at last. "The only thing they had going for them was their streak of dumb luck. Too bad it never came in handy when they needed it."

"Agreed. Well, enough talking. We'd better go see what the boss wants." Butch agreed and followed his partner as they both made their way down the hallways of Team Rocket headquarters, into the office of their boss.

Giovanni was reclining comfortably as Butch and Cassidy entered into his office. They were only two minutes early, a shameful delay from their five-minute standard--but still early nonetheless. He quietly cleared his throat and began his briefing without any delays.

"Yes, glad you could make it. I have a rather difficult assignment for you two, one that a few of my other agents wouldn't take. I already sent Marion and Morrison out on a more important mission, so I wanted to see if you two were interested." Giovanni's speech was dripping with insults and mockery towards Butch and Cassidy, but they took it like true Rockets and willingly bent their wills.

"We will perform any task for Team Rocket," announced Butch. Giovanni smiled.

"Good. I am referring to a large group of Kangaskhan that have been roaming around the wilderness several hundred miles east of this territory. So far, the wildlife protection agency has prevented most of my agents from getting in there, and even I have to obey their no-fly zone. I was wondering if the two of you could work in secret and obtain these Kangaskhan for me?"

"As my partner stated, we will perform any task for Team Rocket," announced Cassidy. Inwardly, she was seething as she was given another mediocre mission, but there was nothing either one of them could do about it. Besides, as long as Rocket was in power and Giovanni was content, so were they.

"Good, good. William and Bonney will give you the equipment you need. I trust you'll satisfy my request with perfection, and not embarrass us further."

"It is not our desire to do so, sir," said Cassidy. "We apologize for our failures earlier. Rest assured, sir, there will be no prison to stop us this time."

"For your sake, I hope not. Go now, and bring me back good news." Butch and Cassidy saluted, and left Giovanni's office with mixed feelings. Neither one of them liked to be reduced to a mere agent, but it was the order they were given. Their skills might have gone to waste, but it was a small price to pay to keep the pride of Team Rocket alive.

"Cassidy…?"

"Let's go capture us some Pokemon, Butch…" Her steely eyes encouraged him, and with his hand clasping her shoulder, she had the courage to press on and ignore the waste they were about to submit themselves to.

And at least they were still employed.

--------------------

An old man, worn by years on land and decades on the briny sea, smoked a pipe slowly as he watched a beautiful blonde woman and a large muscular man walk towards the dock, where his submarine was stationed for anyone to rent. They had claimed to him that they were from Team Rocket, and that they needed the vessel to investigate something of great importance that had been buried under the waves. It was none of the old man's business to inquire, just so long as they showed the proper ID. In those days, it was unwise to question a Rocket.

Morrison smiled as he stepped into the sub, helping Marion along until she was in as well. Once the hatch was closed, the pilot walked up to them, introduced herself, and asked where their destination was.

"If you please, ma'am, we're searching for a sunken ship some three nautical miles southeast of this port," said Morrison. "We'd like it if you took us there. All we need to do is confirm its location, and our support will come and drag it out of the water."

"Very well," she said with a nod. "It's not my business to ask what you're looking for, so just stay seated and enjoy your ride. You'll be there in no-time at all!" She left the two Rockets to themselves, and in a matter of moments, the submarine was diving into the depths of the water. Marion and Morrison could feel the pressure at their ears, and every so often, would lose it again as the sub adjusted to the depth of the water. There were no windows for them to look out of, so the only thing they could do was sit and wait.

The submarine sunk deep into the waters, carefully propelling itself further away from the shore and deeper into the abyss. It passed schools of fish and a few sharks, and a whale swam underneath it as it puttered along. It slowly squeezed itself into a cave, swimming along the center of the opening and into a secret area that only Giovanni had known about. The three nautical mile journey slowly came to an end as the pilot announced that they were there. Just to make sure, Marion and Morrison took a look.

"Yeah, that's it," said the blonde. Far below them, resting on the surface of the ocean floor, were the remains of the very last Dreadnaught in existence, the _Amazon_. Although the vessel itself was useless (after having been in the sea for so long), the treasures contained within made the journey well worth their effort.

"Excellent," hissed Marion. "You've done well, madam. Morrison, alert the base. Tell them we found it. Miss, I don't suppose you could make it so we could get inside there?" The pilot nodded her head.

"If that's one of the four legendary Dreadnaughts from the last great war, I'm sure there's a sub dock in there somewhere. I'll see if I can't find one." Slowly, the sub revved up to full speed again as it began to search for a place to let the two Rockets in. Meanwhile, Morrison had contacted headquarters and alerted his boss about the ship. Giovanni was pleased, and announced that he had already dispatched a retrieval unit.

"This will be a day long remembered in Team Rocket history," he said with a dark smile. "We have conquered the world Pokemon market in the span of a single month, and our reign is unquestioned all thanks to your efforts. Now that the six lost weapons of Team Rocket have been found once again, the very world itself will fall into my hands. Oh yes, this has been a very good day, indeed…"

The submarine slowly approached the sunken ship, the rest of the world completely unaware of what was about to transpire…

To be continued…


	4. Death

Part Four: Death

"There are six of them…"

"So I noticed. Is that enough?"

"No, no, it's just perfect. Six of them is more than enough. But who would have thought…"

"That a secret this powerful would be kept all the way down here? Yes, it's very marvelous. The boss will be… most pleased when he sees this."

"That old man certainly came in handy, showing us the way to this treasure of his. Now that we found it, we…"

"Just stay silent. Who knows who's listening. Once we return to base, we can do anything we like. For now, let's make sure they're all salvaged."

"Yeah, and the sooner the better. I don't like being cramped up in here for long."

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of freedom soon…"

--------------------

The silvery-haired Lenneth happily led Brock through the large interior design of the Dreadnaught _Euphrates_, a constant smile on her face as she gave him the extended tour. Brock didn't know whether to be interested in the surrounding area or Lenneth herself--both were a wonder to behold. It was true that the vessel was magnificent, a model of superior technological advancement and years ahead of the modern age, but Lenneth was also a radiant beauty.

Brock shared his vision with both of them as he followed the shorter, sunny girl through the Dreadnaught. After emerging from the war room, they found themselves in the main hallway, where dozens of doors that connected to every lair of the ship were positioned. Lenneth first took Brock to the nearest one on the left, and opened the door to show him what was inside. It led to a large hangar where many things were under repair, including parts of the ship.

In another room much further down, Lenneth showed Brock the medical ward, where Nurse Joyleen greeted them with a happy smile. Across from there was the kitchen and the large mess hall, which could seat about 250 people at a time. There were also miniature factories that made guns, ammunition, parts, and other necessities for the rest of the ship. Lenneth also showed Brock the security ward, with Officer Jennifer giving them a sharp salute as she looked over some reports.

"This is just the basic layout of the ship," said Lenneth as she took Brock to another level. "If I wanted to give you a thorough tour, we'd need to pack for the journey since the ship is so big. You can get a pretty good idea of what's around here if I just give you the abbreviated version of the tour."

"Oh, I don't care if it takes a long time, just as long as I can spend it with a lovely young lady like yourself!" Lenneth giggled and smiled broadly, giving Brock a very obvious sign that she (unlike 99% of his potential love interests) actually liked being complimented and swooned over.

"You're sweet," she said with a grin, making Brock blush only more. Both of them cleared up as a crewmember emerged from a nearby door and walked past them, and resumed the tour. "Anyway," resumed Lenneth, "the sleeping quarters, game rooms, bar, and community rooms are in the lower level, and the observation and technical rooms are further up above. The _Euphrates_ has three basic levels, and the designers were very keen with dividing everything up evenly so the ship would have a good weight distribution."

"This is a fascinating place!" exclaimed Brock. "But I'm still afraid to get lost around here."

"That's okay," she said with a smile. "It took me awhile to get used to this place as well. Don't worry, that's why we have those floating objects hovering around, so you don't get lost." Brock noticed one of the Voltorb-like creatures flying around in the distance, and remembered what happened in the war room.

"Oh, okay. Say Lenneth, would you like to have lunch with me? I'd certainly like to get to know you better!"

"Really?" she grinned. "Wow, you don't waste any time! Well, I don't think we have much of a choice when it comes to who we eat with. The mess hall's a big place, but I'd love to sit with you and your friends! The Captain doesn't like us eating in-between meals, so we can't get something right now, but I'm sure it'll be that time soon!" Brock took a glance at his watch, and found it to be almost suppertime.

"Wow, yeah, you're right! Gosh, how long have we been doing this tour?"

"You said you left Pallet Town around early afternoon, which I guess is one. You then walked until four in the afternoon, and the tour only takes about another hour, so yes… I suppose that's where all the time went." Brock nodded his head and blew out a big gust of air as he considered everything that had happened to him just in the past day.

It had been less than a month ago when Team Rocket finally gained the advantage they needed to monopolize the world of Pokemon, and perhaps two months ago when Jessie and James were fired from that very organization. Since then, they had proved themselves to be good friends, and the world was flung into horror as Team Rocket finally flexed its muscles. A new movement to counter this act of terrorism had begun, and already things were beginning to move.

Ash, Brock, Gary, James, Jessie, and Misty had all agreed to team up in order to take down the organization once and for all, but there were still many steps that had to be taken for everything to work. Finding a person who loaned them the Dreadnaught was a blessing, and even though the Captain of said vessel was a wild card, his alliance with the six companions was equally important. Officer Jennifer and Nurse Joyleen seemed eager to help as much as they could, and then there was Lenneth…

That made a perfect Ten!

Still, Brock was in the dark about a few things. He still didn't know how Captain Thatcher was going to help them take down Team Rocket, even though the addition of the Dreadnaught was a huge help. There was also the sheer size of Rocket's organization to figure in. Even if the base were destroyed, there would still probably be several loyal followers to the cause who would just resurrect another chapter of their former organization, then the whole thing would begin again. Jessie and James were willing to help, but there was always their archrivals Butch and Cassidy to consider, and of course there was the even _more_ dangerous duo of Marion and Morrison to deal with.

And then there was Lenneth… Brock couldn't get the sunny, silvery-haired girl out of his mind, not that he necessarily wanted to. Even as she led him around the _Euphrates_ and spoke of how the vessel worked and what each room was for, Brock mostly paid attention to her voice and not what she was saying. It had a melodic tone to it, with a degree of maturity and sophistication not found in many other women. She was definitely a pretty girl, with a sunny face and light-blue eyes, wearing a heavy robe of dark blue, brown, violet, and gold, and her braided hair waved hypnotically like a pendulum whenever she walked.

So why was such a sunny, beautiful, and elegant lady in the company of (for lack of a better description) pirates? For that matter, why was she taking such a fond interest in Brock? She couldn't have been truly interested in him…

Could she?

"Hey, Lenneth…" Brock just had to make sure.

"Yes?"

"Um, I was just wondering…" Before he could speak, though, a soft chiming sound could be heard across the ship, signaling that something or other was about to happen.

"Oh, Brock, I hate to interrupt you, but it seems that the Captain is calling everybody to the mess hall!"

"Was that the dinner bell?" he asked. Lenneth nodded her head.

"Yes. You do remember where it is, don't you? Well, whatever question you may have for me, it can wait until dinner. It's much more fun to talk to somebody during a meal, and we can consider it a date, too, if you want!" She smiled at him merrily, but Brock had her beat with the radiance and width of his own ecstatic grin. He actually cheered and jumped in the air as Lenneth gave him that offer.

"R-REALLY?? I… I'm going on a date?! …YAHOO!!" Lenneth couldn't help but laugh out loud as Brock yelped with joy, and together, they took each other by the hand and ran as fast as they could to the mess hall.

"Hey, Nurse Joyleen! I have a question!"

"Hmm? What is it, Gary?" As the crew and passengers were waiting to be served their evening meals, Gary threw a question out to the nearest person he recognized, the pretty and intelligent Nurse Joyleen.

"If the world's in such a crisis, then why hasn't the _Euphrates_ lifted off yet? Wouldn't it make more sense to go as quickly as possible?"

"Oh, well yes it would, but the ship's not ready yet. It still has a few minor repairs to undergo, and a few things are still being loaded. Besides, Captain Thatcher doesn't like people to leave port on an empty stomach."

"Oh, okay."

"Please understand that all of this was very sudden," she continued. "Once we got word that Team Rocket was going across the world capturing Pokemon left and right, we knew that somebody would find us and ask us to do something about it. We've been preparing ever since, but don't worry--we'll be ready to leave by tomorrow morning."

"And where will we be going to, exactly? Oh, thanks!" Gary received a tray full of delicious food, the kind that was completely unlike anything he had been served while on his Pokemon journey, and shuffled along to find a table. He wanted to sit with Misty, or else James and Jessie, but room was scarce already so he had to make do. Nurse Joyleen followed him so she could answer his question, like any polite person would do.

"Well, I'm sure that the Captain won't invade Team Rocket's headquarters immediately," she said as she followed Gary to an empty seat in the mess hall. "The _Euphrates_ may be strong, but even it wouldn't survive a head-on attack on the headquarters. We'd need to pick off a few of the smaller bases first, and see to it that a few Pokemon are freed from Rocket's grip. We may also need to recruit more people for our cause."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense." Nurse Joyleen nodded her head and gave him her prettiest smile.

"Yes. But don't worry--eventually, we'll teach those scoundrels a lesson! Oh, may I sit with you?"

"Sure!" Both Gary and Joyleen sat down together, although there was nobody else in the area that they recognized. Captain Thatcher was elsewhere, cavorting with his loudest and most insane friends. He usually ate his meals in the bar instead of the mess hall, so as to not create a loud ruckus whenever he dined. The crew missed him terribly, but James and Jessie were relieved to hear about his whereabouts.

"I can't _stand_ that oaf!" he lamented as he ate. "I'm so glad he's not here with us! He's rude, loud, obnoxious, probably inconsiderate, bullish, and on top of all that, has no fashion sense whatsoever!"

"Yes, but he does know how to treat a lady," noted Jessie. James sighed and stared down at his meal with a sullen look.

"Well, at least I still have my appetite. You know, Jess, it's strange, but I kind of miss Meowth. I know he was a loud backstabbing little ball of annoying fuzz, but he was _our_ loud backstabbing little ball of annoying fuzz! It's just not the same without him."

"I've been wondering what the little nuisance was up to!" she exclaimed. "Probably off goofing around, or else licking the boss' boots as usual! …I bet he's really worried about us, though. We did sort of leave the Team a bit suddenly."

"Mm-hmm, and then there was our near-fatal brushes with death. Ugh, can you really believe how many times we almost bought the farm? I'll bet everyone in Team Rocket thinks we're up in Heaven by now!"

"Or else the other place," she muttered bitterly. "And what about those other two people? Cassidy and Butch; what do you think became of them?"

"I really could care less," he murmured, picking at his food lazily. "They're our enemies and that's that. But at least this gives us an excuse to exact our revenge on them."

"Nothing ever stopped us before."

"True, but this time we really _are_ the good guys! Strange, eh?"

"Mm-hmm, but I like it. I don't want to sound like an afternoon soap opera, but we've really been given a purpose here. I wouldn't go back to being on Team Rocket for all the money in the world."

"Nor would I!" he agreed. The two friends and partners toasted to their new and permanent alliance, and of course to the absence of Captain Thatcher.

"We just barely made it in time!" blurted Brock as he merged into the table where Ash and Misty were sitting. Lenneth smiled and greeted both of them, sitting next to Brock as she joined them all. Both Ash and Misty shared knowing glances as an old friend and a new friend sat side by side.

"So, what have you two been doing?" he sang.

"Just looking around the ship. Lenneth seems to know the place really well. We never once got lost!" She chuckled and hid her face humbly as she dug into her meal.

"Only because I've been on with the crew for so long. I really can't remember when I first came here, but I think it was when I was four. I was already an orphan by that time, and I've been told that I was very close to being sold into slavery!"

"What?" blurted Misty in amazement. "That's terrible!"

"Yes, but Captain Thatcher found me before anything bad could happen. He let me stay on his crew, and I've been with them ever since. Did you know that it was I who accidentally stumbled across this vessel while I was playing in the airport one day?"

"No!" exclaimed Ash. "How in the world did you do that?"

"I don't know!" she replied with a smile. "I guess it just happened. I literally stumbled across it, you know: I fell into a shaft while I was running around, and it led into this secret underground port that had remained intact since the end of the war. Everyone thought that I was terribly injured, but I just walked away without a scratch on me! Weird, huh?"

"No, that's amazing!" exclaimed Brock happily. "That's such an incredible story! I could listen to it forever and never get tired of it!" Lenneth laughed out loud as he swooned over her (Ash and Misty rolled their eyes heavily), so much so that she nearly suffocated from lack of breath.

"Ah, Brock, you're terrible! Don't make me laugh so hard! You're just too much!"

"I'm only telling you how I feel," he said softly. Lenneth eventually calmed down, took a deep breath, and gave him a warm smile.

"You're so sweet… Even though I only just met you, I'm already beginning to like you." Brock returned her smile, and Misty, fearing that things would get mushy, wisely changed the subject.

"So, Lenneth, is that why you know this place really well?"

"Oh, yes. I explored it every day, whenever the Captain would let me. He liked it too, but I think I was the only one who really bothered to look everywhere. When he was given the honor of commanding this vessel--this was before Team Rocket started to take over, now--he took me on as the ship's personal guide. I became an invaluable member of the crew ever since, and that's why you saw me with him, Jennifer, and Joyleen."

"Ah, that's very nice!" smiled Misty. "Well, I'm glad we have such a nice person as our guide!"

"I'm sure that Brock thinks the exact same thing!" noted Ash wryly. Misty couldn't help but smile, and both Brock and Lenneth blushed a little.

"Anyway, we should eat as much as we can," said the silvery-haired girl. "The Captain likes it when his crew's hunger is satisfied. An empty stomach is a terrible thing to take into a fight, especially one of this magnitude. So eat!"

-----

Sitting with a group of his closest friends, Captain Red Thatcher tipped back another big jug of beer, laughing and singing to his heart's content. The good Captain loved the privacy of the bar, because he could scream and sing as loud as he wanted without disturbing the rest of the crew. Anyone else who was so inclined could join him, but only about five other drinking buddies were there with him, sharing stories and swapping tales.

Officer Jennifer made that area her very last while on patrol. She stepped in and found her boss getting utterly plastered, and couldn't help but smile as he let loose. Thatcher was the kind of person who would not only laugh in the face of death, but would spit in it as well. Thatcher had no fear at all, and became uncontrollably giddy every time a dangerous situation reared its head, especially if it was a fight. He was a wild and fierce man, fiery in appearance and attitude, but with a loveable heart of gold that very few people could resist.

"Captain, I'm almost finished with my runs," reported Jennifer. "Is there anything else you need for me to do?"

"Yeah! C'mon over here and join us for a drink, pretty lady! Mebbe you can relax n' let yer hair down! (hic!) I love a wimmen in uniform…"

"Hey, shaddap, you ignoramus!" bellowed the Captain, striking the poor drunken fool who had made the improper pass. "That's Officer _Jennifer_ you're talking to! Show a little more respect to the lady! Ya vile, nasty little snake--nah, yer not even a snake! Yer a worm!!"

"Hhheyyy, Captainnn…"

"No excuses, drunken fool!" snarled Red. "Now apologize to this wonderful lady, and offer to buy her something really expensive, like a jewel or a flower garden, or somethin'!" The poor drunken man wobbled up over to Jennifer, and hung his head in shame. The officer kept her smile down, but the presence of the Captain and his kind words could always make her feel better.

"Sh… shorry, Jenny… I'm a fool… Can ya forgimme?"

"Only if you make good on that promise!" she stated. The man looked at her in a confused blur.

"Whad… promish?"

"Remember? You promised to buy me a flower garden! You'd better keep your word, or the Captain will have you thrown overboard!"

"Aaahh… no!" he wailed. "Not that! I… I buy you thuh gardun… Offishur… Jus' don't… throw me ovvur…" With that, the man fainted to the ground in a drunken stupor, leaving everyone else to laugh. Captain Thatcher lifted the man up by the shoulders and ordered his buddies to carry him out.

"What a disgrace… Jennifer, I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to be the one who apologizes, Captain," she said with a smile. "I'm just glad you stood up for me--but then again, that's our Captain!" She saluted him, but the fiery Red Thatcher always had to make his movements bigger and more impressive. He stood to his full height despite the alcohol in his body, and performed a perfect naval salute that would've made any Officer Jenny impressed.

"A man of the sea and the air always defends his ladies from whatever harm befalls them!!!" Jennifer smiled proudly and gave her boss a nod before leaving.

"Have a good day, Captain. I'm going to go grab something to eat before I turn in. It's going to be a busy week for us."

--------------------

"Sir, Marion and Morrison are here to see you."

"Hmm, they're early again. Send them in."

"Yes, sir." Moments later, a tall blonde woman with a scar across her face entered into the room, her pure-white cloak remaining motionless. Her partner, the gigantic muscular man with teeth of steel, was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, boss," she greeted with a dusky smile. Giovanni frowned.

"Marion, where's Morrison?"

"Oh, he's just taking care of the machines with William and Bonney. He sent me on ahead to give the report."

"Ah, so you _did_ recover the weapons!" he said with a satisfied smile. "Good work, good work indeed! I'd give you another raise, but you're already in a high enough position! If you climbed the ladder anymore, you'd be boss instead of me! Ah, but you're doing well, better than I had hoped. You exceeded even my expectations."

"Your words are kind, sir," replied Marion sweetly. "I'm really impressed with those weapons you've had hidden in that vessel. I've heard rumors, but I never thought I would encounter them."

"They were constructed by myself and my nine closest comrades back during the days of the war," said Giovanni. "This may surprise you, but Professor Oak helped with them."

"You're kidding!" she hissed. It was hard to surprise Marion, and she sure didn't fake her reaction. Giovanni saw it and smiled.

"No, I'm not. You may not believe this either, but the parents of Jessie, James, Butch, and Cassidy helped with them as well."

"Ah. Is that why you let those two certain losers on the team?" Giovanni was silent for awhile as he considered Marion's question. His cigar slowly burned down in the process, and his Persian yawned sleepily.

"I owed my life to their parents," he said slowly. "I made an oath to raise their children in the ways of Team Rocket. However, they were nothing like their parents, two of the most brilliant and talented people I ever had the honor of befriending. In the end, I was forced to let them go. The report of their deaths, false or not, wasn't an easy thing for me to bear, even after everything those two did."

"Or didn't do," added Marion. Giovanni nodded his head.

"Hmm… Well, enough reminiscing. You've done a very good job, Marion. All we really need to do now is activate those weapons, and the very world itself will be under my control."

"Will it really?" As Giovanni wondered what his employee meant by those words, Marion suddenly rushed towards him, retracted the claws on her gauntlet-weapons, and dug her index fingers deep into his arms, paralyzing them to the side. Giovanni let out a scream as his arms were pierced, but a pair of powerful hands wrapped around his neck, cutting off the shout before it could be heard by anyone else. As the hands closed around his throat, Giovanni's breath slowed down and became shallow, and his vision blurred.

"What… is… this?"

"Just a little betrayal, that's all!" she hissed. Giovanni shivered in fear.

"You… betrayed… me…? But… how…?"

"Let's just say that I lied when I told you that Morrison was elsewhere," she hissed. Giovanni growled, but he was unable to move an inch. The searing pain in his arms prevented him from freeing himself, and the stranglehold on his neck made sure that he wouldn't move.

"You… dogs!" he managed, his voice hoarse. "I… took you in… paid you… put you on seats of high esteem… and this is the thanks I get?"

"Oh, but we are very thankful of you, sir," growled Morrison from behind. "You _did_ help us along. It was through your sources that we were able to first find the Legendary Pokemon Master, and later ZERO City. With the technology available there, you were able to propel Team Rocket into an organization that was literally unstoppable, a place that held dominance over all Pokemon, all resources, and eventually, all the world. And now, because you trusted us so, we now have the six invincible weapons you spoke of with such reverence!"

"You… led me on…"

"But of course!" hissed Marion wickedly, digging her talons into his arms even more. "You were invaluable to us, Giovanni, but now that all your secrets are revealed, it's now time for you to die. No negotiations will save you, no bodyguard will come to your rescue, no words will guarantee your life. You will die, _sir._"

"Who… set you up… for this?"

"Nobody did, I'm glad to say," growled Morrison. "We did this all on our own. We grew tired of being mere hired assassins to take on jobs here and there. Like you said, we're too good for all of that. It's time we ascended into the ranks of greatness, and the only way to take over your throne is to force the original king off it."

"The old way of doing things is over; it's time for new blood to wash over this industry and cleanse it from the old outdated ideals you clung to." Marion chuckled as she drew herself closer to her soon-to-be-eliminated boss, smiling wickedly as her cruel blue eyes dug into his. "You could say, Giovanni, that this will be the Twilight of the Gods--_your_ twilight, old man!"

"But… you… will… not… get… away… with…"

"Of course we will!" snarled Morrison, squeezing his throat a little harder. "Team Rocket will go along with us without any objection! Any fool that thinks they have any loyalty towards you will be easily swayed once they learn that Marion and I have single-handedly guided this pathetic place from the sewers into the clouds! You may have been the brains of the outfit, Giovanni, but consider us the stomach that provides the brain with the nourishment it needs! The brain cannot live without the stomach!"

"Of course, we'll end up being the brains once you're dead," purred Marion darkly. Giovanni's face was covered with perspiration, and even though he couldn't move, he desperately struggled to stay alive. Deep inside, though, he knew and feared that this would be the end of him. After all his years, all his scrapes, and all his days trapped in that hellish war, he would finally die at the hands of his own employees. Rocket would die at the hands of a Rocket, the ultimate irony.

"You… cannot… win…" he rasped, his life nearly gone. His vision was so blurry that there was no longer any difference between keeping his eyes open and keeping them closed. "The… pursuit… of… power… is… the road to… destruction…"

"And now nobody will know that better than you," whispered Marion. She nodded at Morrison, who only said one word before snuffing out his boss' candle.

"Goodbye." He squeezed as hard as he could, creating a disgusting snapping sound, and released the man to fall to the floor.

Hiding in the distant shadows, unbeknownst to either Marion and Morrison, were two pairs of eyes that had seen the entire betrayal take place. Slowly, they slinked away, and kept what had happened to themselves, vowing to wait for the right moment before making their move...

To be continued…


	5. Chaos

Part Five: Chaos

_"Attention… Attention… Citizens of the world, hear our broadcast, and make note of this historical day! Team Rocket as you know it is undergoing a little change! Its previous leader, the man known as Giovanni, is dead."_

All across the world, a single announcement went from satellite to satellite, from station to station, and was broadcast on every radio, television network, loudspeaker, and public announcement system on the globe. The voices heard came directly from Team Rocket headquarters, courtesy of the fiercest and most effective agents ever to be employed. And now, with the announcement of the Team leader's death, everyone across the world was aghast. Marion and Morrison now had a solid audience.

_"But worry not, people of the world! The old order is passed, and a new one has risen up from its ashes! No longer will any of you be burdened by that aged old fool whose only goal was to conquer the world Pokemon market! No longer will you endure petty theft or simple felony at the hands of Team Rocket agents! No longer will you live in such uncertain times, where your Pokemon may be in danger. This is a new era we are approaching; the old ways are gone."_

"In their place is a more strict organization, one with broader horizons and loftier goals. We as Team Rocket have finally gotten our place in the world by capturing a reported 90% of its Pokemon, all thanks to the efforts of two invincible agents--those same very people who are addressing every single one of you right now. Allow us a moment to introduce ourselves!"

"To ignite the world in devastation!"

"To unite all chaos within all nations!"

"To proclaim the truths of anarchy and hate!"

"To set the world for a doomsday date!"

"MARION!"

"MORRISON!"

"Team Rocket, destroying everything in our path!"

"Surrender now, or feel our wrath!"

All across the world, the shock and fear of every human being increased as they heard the new Team Rocket call. From Pallet Town to Cinnabar Island, and everywhere in between, the people were now facing against a united organization whose promise was that of oppression, fear, chaos, lawlessness, slavery, and horror. Even in the _Euphrates_, where many of the crew were still reeling from the announced death of Giovanni, people were paralyzed as they forced themselves to listen.

__

"This is the ugly truth which you must understand, citizens. With the old regiment gone, its leader destroyed and its ideals out of date, a new season must come from it--one that takes everything from the former regime and improves upon it. No longer will our goal simply be that of taking Pokemon at our own will, but the very subjugation of the world as we know it, by force if necessary."

"It is necessary for such a revolution to take place--after all, the entire world's disorganization has been the cause of every war in our long history. With the world scattered and its leaders divided on so many issues, no real sense of peace can ever be attained. However, with Team Rocket throwing its hat into the ring, there shall be nothing to oppress us from realizing this one single goal."

"To unify all nations under our flag… to make Team Rocket the sole dominator of the world… to literally have say over everything, from politics to economy… that is our goal. No longer will any of you suffer under the contradictory rules of your previous governments; now there is only us, the ones who will forever rule as the rightful owners of this planet's sanity."

"Of course, there will be those who oppose us. You will all meet the same fate as the man who previously held rule over this organization!! There is no point in rebelling; we have the powers on our side to wipe out any dissents. Ninety percent of the world's Pokemon are ours, and the morale of Team Rocket is unwavering. No army in the world can overthrow us now; we are unstoppable, so it would be wise to join, rather than to perish."

"There is nothing else that need be said. The world has suffered too long under the impossible yoke of anarchy. Unification is the answer if any of you ever wish to obtain peace: unification under the flag of Team Rocket, enforced by might and power, kept pure by terror and fear. Resist, and you will be crushed. Join us, and you and everything you know will be spared. There is no escape, and there is no hope, outside of Rocket's protective embrace!"

"Twilight has fallen on the old order; dawn approaches on the new, and the phoenix will rise once again to lay claim to its rightful inheritance. Upon this day, the name of Team Rocket declares itself the unquestioned ruler of the Earth, the one force worthy of such a title! Together, the citizens of the world and Team Rocket shall finally obtain peace…… no matter how much disaster we must be witness to before it happens. That is all we have to say. Good day, and may Team Rocket live forever!"

"An impressive speech, if I do say so myself." Marion smiled wickedly, fully agreeing with her partner.

"Yes… Now that our rule is complete and unquestionable, it feels as if the challenge in life is over, though."

"Only for now," noted Morrison. "It'll be a challenge just to keep all those wannabe rebels off our backs. But don't worry; Team Rocket has the might to repel them all."

"We are a bit unstoppable, I'll admit." She chuckled darkly, fanning her long blonde hair away from her eyes. Marion excused herself so she could get some rest, leaving Morrison to take over things in the office. Of course, neither one of them expected everyone to follow their plan, not even the agents of Team Rocket--but with the death of Giovanni still fresh in their minds, and the outstanding record of the two assassins, there was little chance of a civil war in the headquarters.

And so, Team Rocket would continue to drive on, only now more unstoppable than ever…

----------

"I… can't… believe it…"

James summed it all up with just four words. Everyone had been left petrified by the announcement, the long and terrifying speech delivered by two enemies with even more power and skill than the old Team Rocket itself. It was true about what they said: the old order had passed away, giving way to a more powerful, sinister, and ruthless version. The death of their old boss, the sudden takeover, the declaration of supremacy… it had all happened too fast for Jessie and James to register. They could only sit there staring, numbed by what they had heard.

"That's just awful…" squeaked Nurse Joyleen weakly. "They… they really killed the old leader of Team Rocket…"

"I never thought it would happen," murmured Misty. "I never thought that he would die, let alone at the hands of his own people! It's just too radical to think about!"

"I don't think they'd just be telling us all that stuff for publicity," reasoned Officer Jennifer. "Those two sounded serious, _dead_ serious. Until we know for sure, we're just going to have to assume they were telling the truth."

"Then… in that case……… the boss really _is_ dead!"

"Yes, it's true… I'm sorry." Jessie shook her head slowly, trying to regain her senses as everything she had heard sunk in.

"No… the old man had it coming. I don't want to sound heartless, but I'm glad he's gone. It's just a shame that these new people had to move in so quickly--otherwise, Team Rocket would have weakened, and we would've had our chance to strike. But now things are going to get even _more_ dangerous."

"Well, we can't sit around here moping forever!" stated Gary. "We have to do something if we want to save what's left of this world, before Team Rocket gets their fingers around it. The trouble is, though, what can we do?"

"The Dreadnaught alone won't do us much good," grumbled Captain Thatcher, who has listened in with everybody else. "She's a strong one, but even she wouldn't stand up to Team Rocket in the state they're in. Even _I_ know when it's best not to attack."

"That's quite a statement coming from you, sir!" remarked Officer Jennifer slyly. Thatcher chuckled.

"Yeah… I'm not usually the cautious type. Well, until somebody gets a really bright idea, it looks like we're just going to have to whittle them down, bit by bit."

"What do you mean, Captain?" asked Misty. Thatcher smiled at her, despite the bleak situation.

"Team Rocket doesn't have just one base in the world. Chances are, they're all spread out everywhere. If we can pick off the smaller bases first and build up steam, we may be able to suck their power away bit by bit. It'll take us a long time, and they're bound to catch onto our scheme sooner or later, but it's the best chance we have!"

"We could free any Pokemon in the areas we hit," added Nurse Joyleen. "I'm sure with less Pokemon in their possession, their power will shorten. We're going to have to play it carefully, though, because as the Captain said, Team Rocket won't just sit on its hands and let us chip away at it."

"Well, that's why we have the Dreadnaught," noted the Captain. "But it'll take us forever to do, since there's probably a hundred bases everywhere in the world. Oh well, eh? It don't matter if we save the world now or a year from now, long as we do it. I'm sure the people can wait a lil' while longer while we do our thing."

"But… are you sure this is the only option?" asked Ash. The Captain nodded his head.

"We're not strong enough to attack the main base," reasoned Lenneth gently. "We'd just get mowed down, and Team Rocket would have nobody to stop them. This way, we at least have a chance."

"…Right. But… where in the world do we start? They could have bases anywhere!"

"Not necessarily," noted a voice from the crowd. Everybody turned around and saw that James and Jessie were smiling again, in the very same way they did whenever they had a nasty scheme up their sleeve.

"What do you mean?"

"There's two very special people in this group who knows most all of Team Rocket's secrets!" he proclaimed. "If you let those two very special people speak their minds, you'll be trashing bases left and right before you know it!"

"Wow, I almost forgot about all that!" exclaimed Brock. "You two know more about Team Rocket than anybody else in here! Hey, I'm starting to think that we may actually have a chance now!"

"Who would have thought that Jessie and James would ever come in handy!" chuckled Ash. The two older ones glared at him, forcing him to shirk away rather than to suffer from their rage.

"We've come in handy plenty of times before!"

"We're your friends and we've helped out more than you can imagine!"

"That's right, we're not useless! We're the most invaluable team members you _have_ here!"

"Yeah, you'd be lost without us!!"

"Humble as always," sighed Brock. Lenneth couldn't help but laugh. Ash apologized, and asked his friends very politely if they would lead them to the closest Team Rocket base. Jessie and James smiled at each other, their usefulness coming round once again, and asked the Captain to produce the biggest and most accurate map of the world he could find. He took them to the war room.

"Just give us a second," said James as he and his partner hacked on the keyboards. The information connected to the monitors above, slowly showing a world covered with flashing red dots. A single white dot was positioned somewhere near Pallet Town, so everybody assumed that it indicated the location of the _Euphrates_.

"There, it's almost up!" pointed Jessie. Once she and James keyed in a few more strokes, the entire virtual map of the world was covered in tiny flashing red dots. Nobody needed an explanation as to what they were for, not even Ash.

"So are these all the bases that Team Rocket has?" asked Officer Jennifer. Both former Rockets confirmed it with a nod.

"Yes, that should be all of them. Even if it's not, it's a good start." The police officer studied the map carefully, and asked for a printed copy for her own personal use. Even though Officer Jennifer worked with Captain Thatcher, she still had a duty to the police forces of the world, and one of those duties included informing everybody of the whereabouts of all Team Rocket bases. Now that the world was under the heavy thumb of the organization, it was even more crucial to know such information.

"I can't thank you two enough for this information," she said softly as she snapped a salute. "I'll tell the other Officer Jennies of the world as well; they'll surely be a help to us."

"That's just wonderful!" bellowed Captain Thatcher proudly. "With all the other Officer Jennies in the world helping us, our workload will be much easier to bear! Now, where's the closest base?" Jessie leaned over and pointed to the red dot closest to the white dot.

"It's this one right here. According to this map, it's another twelve miles away. Gosh, I don't want to _walk_ all the way there! I'm still tired from our last journey!"

"Why does that not surprise me?" groaned Misty. Captain Thatcher let out a hearty chuckle instead, and assured Jessie that walking was unnecessary.

"The base appears to be on the tip of an island--a sheer cliff of an island, to be exact. It's a short distance, for sure, but there ain't no other way to get there other than by flying. Couldn't sail there even if we had to."

"So we're really ready for takeoff?!" squealed Ash enthusiastically. Thatcher smiled proudly at the young boy and nodded his head.

"Oh, yeah! We're all fed, rested, and ready to roll! Everybody, I'm gonna start the ship! Get to yer stations and prepare for our maiden launch!"

"Maiden launch?" squawked Brock. "You mean to tell us that this ship has never been launched before?"

"Not by us, at least," shrugged the Captain. Brock groaned in horror just thinking about it, but as always, the Captain laughed. "Aw, don't worry, little man!! If Captain Red Thatcher's behind the wheel, then nothing can possibly go wrong! Nothing at all!!! Bwahahahahahahaha!!!"

"Except maybe the entire crew will go deaf from listening to that awful laughter!" Both Jessie and James covered their ears and grimaced as the flaming-wild man chortled. Once he gave the order for everybody to move out, they were left behind temporarily as they still had their hands over their ears.

"Come on, you two!" shouted Gary as he pulled them along. "You don't wanna be left behind do you? We're about to get into a really big fight, so come on out of the war room!"

"Coming, we're coming!"

----------

Ash, Brock, Gary, Lenneth, and Misty fastened themselves into chairs as they watched the bridge activate with life. Navigators everywhere prepared the ship for her first launch in years, while Captain Thatcher orchestrated it all from his position of command. Officer Jennifer and Nurse Joyleen were at his side, ready for whatever fate had to throw at them, and Jessie and James pursed their mouths as they prepared for the worst.

"Engines set and ready, Captain! Thrusters ready to go! We have clearance to launch!"

"Excellent! Control room, open the ceiling up for us so we can leave!"

"Roger, Cap! Ceiling opening now!"

"Start engines! Start thrusters!"

"Engines and thrusters starting! Countdown 30 for launch! Ceiling will be open in 10, 9, 8, 7..."

"Captain, will we make it?"

"Of course we'll make it, Miss Jennifer! Captain Red Thatcher of the Dreadnaught _Euphrates_ always makes it!"

"You sure sound confident, Captain!" The man bellowed out a laugh as both countdowns continued.

"Three, two, one, ceiling doors open! We're free!"

"Countdown 20 for launch! We're almost ready!"

"Hang on tight, kiddies!" growled Thatcher happily. A wild look was in his eyes--well, more so than usual--and a grin as big as the sky was on his face. The man seemed absolutely giddy over such a simple thing, but it was really a test to see if everything went well. Nobody really doubted the Captain, except for James and Jessie, but still they all braced themselves and prepared for the worst.

"Captain! We're almost ready! Countdown is at ten now!"

"Well, this looks like this is the big moment! Now we'll see if all their hard work has paid off! Everybody ready to soar into the air like the heroes we are?!"

"NO!!!" screamed James. "I… I just remembered how much I _hate_ flying! G… get me outta this thing!!"

"Don't chicken out on me now, James!!" spat Jessie angrily. "We're in this together whether you like it or not!" He smiled wearily despite the growing dread in his stomach.

"Okay, then let's go…!"

"Ah, that's more like it! Captain, we're ready to go!"

"So're we!" he shouted. "_Euphrates, **GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!**_"

With a mighty explosion and a powerful thrust, the great Dreadnaught _Euphrates_ belched out of the port and the airport, sending gusts of wind tearing out all over. Old man Rutherford watched in awe as the giant vessel zoomed overhead, and let out a mighty cheer as the great behemoth became airborne once again. A mighty cheer lifted up from inside as well, as everybody (even James and Jessie) shouted in victory. The Captain stood proudly, his bared teeth clenching a wooden pipe as he watched the world fly by on the glass screen, and rammed his finger into the distance, where their destiny awaited them.

Elsewhere, in Pallet Town, Professor Oak got goosebumps as he watched an old friend soared into the air, ready to roll into battle once again…

To be continued…


	6. First Taste of War

Part Six: First Taste of War

Speeding through clouds and sky, slicing the atmosphere in two was the immense Dreadnaught _Euphrates_, pride of the skies and the personal chariot of the insane but loveable Captain Red Thatcher. None of the passengers could ever believe that such a large thing could ever fly, especially since it resembled a whale more than an airplane. The sciences surrounding aeronautics still applied to the Dreadnaught--a vacuum surrounding the ship enabled it to fly--but it was still a sight to fly through the air.

Its destination was one of Team Rocket's bases scattered around the world, its crew set on saving the sanity of the planet from Team Rocket's iron grip. As he tried to hold his lunch down, Ash couldn't determine which was more ironic: Gary being his ally, or two former members of Team Rocket. In the past, neither party had ever gotten along with the young Pallet native, but now they were working together for a single common goal. There was something profound to be discovered in that revelation, but it certainly didn't help Ash's airsickness. He had to run to the bathroom once during the journey, hardly a profound experience, and the violent noises coming from inside warned everyone not to approach.

"Poor lad," murmured Thatcher as he picked up the sounds of Ash's retching. "Hope he gets his air-legs soon enough; our journey's barely begun. Oh hey, speaking of which, it looks like we're already there!" The crew of the Dreadnaught looked at the monitors surrounding the bridge, and sure enough, they were very near to the first Team Rocket base on their list. Captain Thatcher drew in a deep breath and turned around to bark at his crew.

"Okay, men! Listen up! We're right at Team Rocket's door! This is the first of many bases we'll be raiding and destroying! I don't need to tell you that this will be dangerous, so keep yer eyes open! Your basic mission is to flush out all T.R. agents, free the captive Pokemon, and blow the whole bloody place sky-high! Any volunteers?" A few hands raised in the air, most of them belonging to the six who had traveled from Pallet Town.

"No matter who you send, Nurse Joyleen and myself should be there with them!" stated Officer Jennifer firmly. "It's my duty as a police officer to bring these people to justice, and since we don't know what troubles we'll run into, Nurse Joyleen should be on hand!" The pink-haired nurse nodded her head, and Captain Thatcher gave them a smile of approval.

"All right. Uh, hey, you two!"

"What, us?" said Jessie. Thatcher nodded his head.

"Yeah! You two, go down there! Your knowledge of Team Rocket will be the key to winning this thing! Take Mr. Brock with you too, and Mr. Ash and Mr. Gary as well! The rest of you should stand by here!"

"But what about me?" blurted Misty. "I'm as good with Pokemon as any of those guys are!"

"Oh yah, almost forgot about'cha, missy!" Thatcher laughed out loud and let her go with the others, and of course one more stepped up to volunteer.

"Captain, you _will_ let me go too, right? I mean, Brock and the others may need my help!" The Captain gave Lenneth a crafty smile as he stood at the helm.

"Heheheh… are ya sure it won't just be Mr. Brock?"

"N-no sir," she muttered, blushing lightly. Thatcher chuckled heartily and allowed the silvery-haired girl to accompany them.

"Aw, all right… Jus' you be careful, Lenneth. I don't like seein' pretty ladies get hurt!"

"I'll be fine, sir!" she exclaimed merrily, her arms more or less wrapping around Brock's shoulder (as the love-starved guy smiled happily). "I have Brock and everybody else protecting me."

"Just make sure ya give'm what for!" grinned Thatcher proudly. "Okay, Team! To your stations! You all better get a few parachutes, cuz' you'll be dropping in on them Rocket scum!" The team of nine nodded their heads and dashed out of the bridge, with Lenneth leading them along the way. Meanwhile, Thatcher turned around and took a deep breath, his insides all giddy from anticipation.

"Oh, man… I sure wish I could go down there with'em! It ain't like me to miss a good fight!!"

----------

With the wind billowing beneath them and a steep drop below, it was no wonder that even the bravest among the nine were afraid to make the first jump. Officer Jennifer assured everyone that their parachutes would open properly, but that barely made anybody more comfortable. Lenneth slowly wiggled her way over to Brock, and gave him a weak smile as she touched his hand.

"You ready?" He nodded his head and smiled.

"With you here, Lenneth, I'm not afraid of anything!" She chuckled merrily, and together, the two of them leaped from the Dreadnaught first, followed closely by the brave Jennifer and Joyleen. Gary pursed his lips and prepared himself for the fall, and leaped off next, followed by a determined Ash and a nervous Misty. Finally, Jessie and James stared down at the tiny speck of land beneath them, clenching onto each other in terror.

"We… really shouldn't be so scared!" she quivered. "I mean, we've fallen from much higher places than this before! And we always manage to come out without hardly a scrape, right?"

"Speak for yourself!" wailed poor James. "I'm too scared to fall!"

"If Blobbafett were here, we would've probably fallen halfway there by now," remarked Jessie. She halfway expected the annoying blue creature to pop up at any time, but luckily for them, it had not followed them when they were terminated from the Team. Sighing, both former Rockets looked at each other, clasped their hands tight, and leaped off the Dreadnaught screaming.

Everyone opened their parachutes safely and floated gently down to the surface, where they were immediately greeted by a group of Team Rocket agents who had spotted the Dreadnaught on their radar. Not wasting any time, the first four people to land on the surface prepared for a battle. The twelve agents there each summoned a Magnemite, combining all their powers into one electrical conduit of power; Brock called up his Onyx, one impervious to shock.

The enormous serpent of rock plowed through the agents and their Pokemon, blasting through them like a drill would shred through paper, scattering stones, Magnemites, and people into the distance with an enormous whip of its tail. It hurtled them into the air with the large spike on its head, and coiled around them, crushing the Pokemon and the humans alike. Alarms went off in the base as the brief scuffle outside heated up, and more agents stormed out, these with different varieties instead.

"This is looking less good by the minute," observed Brock darkly. The new batch of agents threw out one Wartortle, a creature that towered over Onyx easily and blasted it away with its large water gun. Brock called his creature back inside and summoned out a Zubat instead, and was quickly joined by Ash's Bulbasaur and Misty's Staryu. Together, the plant and water-type charged the Wartortle, slashing it to pieces with razor leaf and slapping it into unconsciousness with Staryu's tackle. The remaining agents cursed, and drew out more Pokemon for their next wave.

"Ash, you're pathetic!" shouted Gary as he fell from the sky. He threw down an Alakazam and a Kangaskhan as he floated to the surface, and watched as the two powerful creatures overtook the Team Rocket agents. With a powerful psychic wave, half of them were thrown off the cliff and into the sea below, while the other half fell to their knees as Kangaskhan trembled the ground. Gary smiled and let out a little laugh; Ash merely snorted.

"Whatever!" he snapped. "Let's get inside and blow this place to kingdom come!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Jennifer, pulling on his collar. Another wave of agents came out of the building, each with a utility belt full of Pokeballs. Ash squealed in shock as he saw just how many there were before them.

"Aah! How many are there in there?"

"Not enough for the likes of us!" shouted James as he joined the party. "Prepare for James and make it Jessie! To unite the world with truth and Pokemon freedom! Igniting the gasoline that makes our cars run fast… or something."

KA-POW!!

"Darn it James, you're starting to annoy me!" snapped Jessie angrily. "Just forget the stupid motto and attack! Arbok, poison sting!" The large violet serpent emerged and rained down a shower of needles on the Rockets, some connecting and some forcing them to flee. James laughed out loud and summoned Wheezing to cloud the area in a smoke screen, wherein the entire group made their escape into the base.

"It's not always who has the strongest Pokemon who wins!" he noted to Ash. "Sometimes, you have to use strategy!"

"Glad I'm not on the receiving end of Wheezing's attacks for once!" he remarked. The group wasted little time in distancing themselves from the coughing agents outside, and ran straight into the small base, wherein they met up with a three-way fork in the road. Seeing as how there were nine in the group, they each split up into three groups and went down a different path.

Running at full speed, Jennifer, Joyleen, and Ash made their way down a long hallway, not encountering any opposition for quite some time. There were no doors or windows in the hallway, just a long path with halogen lights brightening the way. A few minutes down the road, the ceiling gave way to reveal a machine that resembled a Rhidon, whirring madly and destroying the hallway as it drilled towards the three invaders. Officer Jennifer was surprised for only a second before she pulled out her gun, and with a few expert shots, the machine was already slowing down.

"Pikachu, finish it off!" shouted Ash. The yellow rodent was more than happy to comply, and with a shout and a blast, it fried the machine before it could do any damage. Carefully, Jennifer helped Joyleen and Ash crawl over the machine, but before they could even move three steps, two more drill machines emerged right in front of them!

"Oh no, two more!" shouted Ash. Pikachu stepped up to once again blast them, but one of the machines spat out a small glowing orb that exploded in a blinding flash of light. The four invaders screamed as their eyes were tortured by the blinding light, and the mechanical drills rolled forward, destroying the hallway and anything else in their path. Clenching her teeth in pain, Nurse Joyleen summoned a Ghastly from her own stash, who used its powers to darken the room and negate the bright light.

"Now, Ghastly! Attack those two drills!" The Ghastly moaned and passed through the drills, frying their circuits as it floated through. They were instantly disabled, leaving the three invaders to proceed once again. After a few more cautious steps, they came to the end of the hallway, where they found a room full of caged Pokemon.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Ash in shock. "It's the Pokemon that those Team Rocket agents captured! We'd better free them quickly!" He, the Officer, and the Nurse quickly began freeing the Pokemon, setting them all loose one by one. Joyleen secretly hoped that the other members of the strike team were doing as well as they were. It would be sad to know that others were being hurt already, on this first of many missions.

----------

James, Jessie, and Gary leaned on their knees wearily, trying to catch their breath as the trudged past the defeated Team Rocket agents they had just plowed through. There was apparently more resistance down this one hallway than anywhere else, because as the alarms blared to life, more and more of them seemed to stream towards their direction. The first dozen or so were fairly easy to overcome, but by the time fifty had been taken down, even Gary was tired out. Now, though, it seemed that there was no longer any opposition.

"Whew… That was tough…" managed James. "I… didn't think… we'd be able… to do it…"

"Looks like these members of Team Rocket are blasting off again, eh?" joked Jessie. She smiled weakly, and tried to stand up, but ended up slipping to the floor, where she stayed as she caught her breath. The battles had been so harrowing that sometimes, it came down to hand-to-hand combat with the Rockets, which none of the three were experienced in. Wheezing, Arbok, and the other Pokemon were exhausted from so much fighting.

"At least there's not as much for the others to worry about," remarked Gary. James and Jessie quietly agreed. "Well, we shouldn't stay here for long. Let's rest for five more minutes before we continue. Who knows what else awaits us in this base?"

"I'd say that the main control room would," sighed James as he sat down on the floor. "If this place didn't change from the last time I was here, Ash went down the hallway where the Pokemon would be stored, and we're going down where the main control room is."

"Which is probably the best place for us to be," noted Jessie. "We could activate a self-destruct sequence there. Most Team Rocket bases have one, or at least they did when we were in there."

"You think they've changed?" wondered Gary. The redhead shook her head.

"Maybe one or two, but it's unlikely. The boss put them in there just in case people like us came through and wanted to download some data. If we got too close, the place would go boom and the data would be lost to everyone--except for the boss, of course. And of course, the invader would be lost too." A dense silence overcame the trio as they sat and rested, the older two reflecting on the dark secrets of their former life. There was much hidden behind the scenes in Team Rocket, more than just capturing Pokemon and making trouble across the world, and it truly was a stoke of luck that James and Jessie held such a friendship with Ash and the others.

"Well, we'd better get moving," grunted Gary as he stood up. "We should get to that control room as quickly as possible. I just hope the others will get out of here once their job is done. I wouldn't even want Ash to be in here when the place blows."

"And certainly not ourselves!" exclaimed James. Gary chuckled morbidly and followed the older ones as they led him into the control room.

----------

Brock, Misty, and Lenneth had encountered only minimal opposition as they scurried down their side of the base. The hallway was particularly large with plenty of doors for enemies to pop out of, but so far, they had only met up with a few annoying obstacles, mostly stray Pokemon that wandered around the area. Lenneth was keeping a good pace with her new companions, easily holding onto her smile (_and_ Brock's wrist) as she ran down the hallway. Misty could tell that the pretty girl liked Brock, though she didn't exactly understand why, nor did she need to during that time.

"It… looks like… we took… the easy path!" said Brock as he led the charge. It was difficult for him to talk and run at the same time, so his words came out scrambled. It was indeed strange to not find any opposition in the hallway, especially since the alarms were still blaring. Misty could only come up with the conclusion that the other two teams were being bogged down.

"I hope everybody else is okay," she remarked. Suddenly, as if to mock her, the entire base trembled ferociously. Ahead of them, the wall crumbled to pieces as a giant piece of machinery lumbered through, armed with multiple deadly weapons, the largest of which being a noisy buzz-saw. It trembled towards them slowly, barring the way and ripping apart the very hallway itself as it closed in on them.

"What in the world is THAT!!" screamed Brock. "Is it part of the security here??!!"

"Leave it up to Captain Thatcher to choose a base where the security is tight," muttered Lenneth wearily. "Here, stand back. I'll take care of it."

"Lenneth, don't!" shouted Brock and Misty as they grabbed her shoulders. She turned around and calmly smiled at them.

"It'll be okay. I'm certain that this thing will not be a problem for me. Just make sure you're both safe." She gave them one of her pretty smiles, and to their shock, walked towards the machine like it was nothing at all. Its buzz-saw sang out wickedly as it waved around in the air, but Lenneth was unfazed. She calmly walked right up to it and placed her hand upon its metal shell. Suddenly, the machine froze as snakes of electricity ran across its body, frying its circuits and deadening its body. With a whine of defeat, the machine sunk to the ground, and was utterly terminated in a matter of moments.

Needless to say, both Brock and Misty were petrified.

"Lenneth! How'd you _DO_ that?!"

"Do what? Oh, disable the machine? Well, it's nothing really special… It's just something that I've been good at for awhile…"

"But that was astounding!" exclaimed Brock in surprise. "I've never seen a normal human DO that before!!" His mouth was wide open in amazement, but Lenneth quickly became saddened by what he said. She shied away from him, hanging her head miserably as she stared at the machine she effortlessly destroyed.

"So… you think I'm not a normal person…?" Brock instantly knew what was wrong, and slowly walked over to Lenneth and apologized.

"Lenneth… I'm real sorry. Please forgive me. It's just that… I've never actually _seen_ somebody do that before! How did you…" Lenneth kept her back turned on him, quietly keeping her innocent blue eyes locked on the dead machine. It was obvious there was more to the girl than met the eye, but perhaps that something was a secret that the beautiful but mysterious girl didn't want to share.

"Ash and Gary are good at capturing Pokemon," she began quietly. "They both share a bond with them. They have empathy, and care for them deeply. Jessie and James may seem like blundering fools, but they've gotten out of many scrapes before with little effort. They're just very good at avoiding problems that would defeat anybody else, and their tenacity is second to none. Misty, you're a great water-Pokemon trainer, and Brock, you're a great breeder. Officer Jennifer excels in security and law, Nurse Joyleen is an excellent doctor, and Captain Thatcher is the best commander I've ever known. Everybody is good at something, Brock and Misty. This is just what _I'm_ good at, and that's all there is to it."

A pause.

"…I see," he whispered. He laid his hands on her shoulders and apologized again, but all Lenneth gave him was a smile.

"I'll admit that it's a very strange gift I've been given… and it's not just effective on machines. I can disable a few Pokemon as well, and there are other talents that I have that are just too strange to tell. But I'm your friend, that's all you need to know, and I'm willing to help however I can."

"What a beautiful speech," sighed Misty warmly. Brock sighed warmly too, and not just because of the beautiful speech.

"Yes indeed, a lovely speech from a lovely lady! Lenneth, you're a wonderful and special young lady! I consider it an honor to travel alongside you! …Wouldyouliketogoonadatewithme?"

"A date?" she giggled, blushing lightly. "Brock, this is hardly the time and place to ask! …Though I will admit, you're a very sweet young man. I'd be a fool to pass it up. I'll give you my answer once things have settled down, but for now, we should concentrate on this mission!" He nodded in agreement, and so without any other delays, the group climbed over the dead machine and ran through the rest of the hallway, flushing out the opposition and freeing as many Pokemon as they could.

----------

"There! That should do it… I hope…" James wiped the sweat off his forehead, and a second alarm replaced the first as it rang out across the Team Rocket base. The self-destruct sequence had been initiated, and nothing short of conflagration could stop it. Without wasting a second, the three invaders turned around and dashed out the way they came in, pushing past anything that got in their way. A few stubborn Rocket agents remained to slow them down, but luckily, Jessie's kicks negotiated with them well.

"HYAAA!!!" People flew away left and right as she slammed her boots into their bodies, and any Pokemon they might have summoned were sent packing with James' attacks. Gary went on ahead to clear the rest of the path, stumbling across the occasional roadblock here and there, until finally he came to the three-way fork in the road, where he spotted his rival running out from.

"It looks like you made it safely!" he shouted. Ash smiled proudly and nodded his head.

"Yeah! We already set the Pokemon free, so don't worry about them! Jennifer and Joyleen are carrying all the wounded Pokemon away, so they'll be awhile!"

"I hope… they hurry!" he panted. Without another word between them, Ash and Gary burned the rubber soles on their sneakers as they dashed out of the base and climbed aboard the platform of the Dreadnaught, which had descended back down once they got word that the self-destruct sequence had been engaged. Together, the two rivals leaped on the platform and waited for their other comrades, helping Jessie and James first and then Jennifer, Joyleen, and the injured Pokemon.

The countdown slowly ticked closer and closer to destruction, and even as 2/3 of the team made it safely onto the ship, the other three were still missing. Worried, Ash wanted to run back in and check up on them, but there was barely enough time to get to the base, let alone find his friends. All the Pokemon were too weak to sprint anyway, so there was little anybody could do except wait and hope.

Finally, their nerves were relieved as Brock, Lenneth, and Misty emerged from the blaring base, atop three Pokemon they found along the way. With a few shouts exchanged, the party slipped into the Dreadnaught with only a few seconds to spare, and the call was made to Thatcher, who closed the hatch and lifted the Dreadnaught in the sky just as the first Team Rocket base exploded in a violent flame.

Everybody breathed out sighs of relief, and took a few minutes to rest as the Dreadnaught escaped the blast. Nurse Joyleen began checking for injuries, and found that none of the humans were terribly hurt, just some of the Pokemon. She got her staff to rush towards the platform, and everybody there volunteered to help her take them to the medical ward where they would be recovered. Congratulations went all around as rivals and former enemies put aside their differences and cheered for their first victory--their first, but hopefully not their last.

"Y'all should take a break," said Thatcher once everybody assembled in the bridge. "I got a feeling that our next few missions will be just as difficult as this one was. We set out tomorrow, so get some rest for today."

"Yes, sir!" Thatcher was soon left by himself in the bridge as everyone went to rest up, and as he paced around the large command center, he wondered if and when it would all be over.

To be continued…


	7. Tribulations

Part Seven: Tribulations

The headquarters of Team Rocket, now the most powerful force in the world, was brimming with evil, as a light radiates illumination across a dark world--only this light was black with oppression, power, and control, and blinded the entire world in a muddy blanket of despondency. Thrice fortified to withstand even the most powerful opposition, with boats protecting its waters, tanks on land, and planes and search lights in the air, it was unlikely that anybody would be so foolish as to try and topple the mighty empire. The two unquestioned emperors, basking in the sheer glory of their speedy domination, continued to guide Rocket along its path of conquest, unstoppable forever.

But even the mightiest mountains may shift and crumble. News quickly came to the desk of Marion and Morrison that one of the Team Rocket bases had been taken over and destroyed, its Pokemon freed and the agents stationed there arrested or lost in the fires. The loss of a single base in a world where there was over a hundred seemed trite, so the two new leaders of Team Rocket dismissed it as unimportant.

But as a month drawled by, more and more bases were being taken and blown sky-high. News came that more agents were being put behind bars, all the precious Pokemon that had been captured were now running loose again, and the resistance that dared strike at the heart of Team Rocket was moving its Damocles Sword closer to the main headquarters, closer and closer still, like the flaming chariot of Apollo across the sky--and when this chariot landed, there would indeed be a bloody holocaust.

"Who do you suppose could be behind all this?" wondered Marion as she gazed at more reports of rebellious outbreak. Morrison shrugged.

"It could be anybody. I don't know how there's still a group of people large enough to hope for a revolution, but the fact remains that they're out there. The only way I can think of stopping them, however, is just to send an alert out to all the bases."

"No, there's definitely a pattern they're following," she reasoned. The deadly scarred woman activated the terminal that her former boss used from time to time, and downloaded a map of the entire world, where every single Team Rocket base was illuminated in red. Those that were destroyed were in black.

"This was the first one reported," she indicated, pointing to a base close to Pallet Town. "Then this one, and that one, and that one, and so forth. Four bases in all have been destroyed, and they all follow a pattern. These people are simply going to the nearest base available, and taking them one at a time."

"So if we move to the next one, we'll be able to intercept them."

"Exactly," she purred. "But there's a problem with that. They have _two_ places to go to that are the closest: one of them is down there, near Celadon, and one's up in the frozen north where it's said the Articuno live. Of course, we could just split up our forces."

"I have an even better idea," growled the giant man wickedly. Marion turned around, sharing his smile inquisitively. "Why don't we deploy our six ultimate weapons across the world? Put one up there, one near Celadon, and scatter the other four in random places; our largest bases, let's say. You and I should personally see to it that we each protect another one of the bases. That way, no matter where they go, they'll meet up with an unstoppable opposition, and will be completely wiped out!!"

"Nice," she sang. "I always did like the way you thought, Morrison. But that still leaves about eighty-so bases left unattended."

"If they manage to slip by our walls, they'll be too exhausted to destroy anything else," he gloated wickedly. "Besides, we have our best agents right here at headquarters. We could just leave a skeleton force here, equip them with the best Pokemon we have, and scatter everybody else all across the world. It really doesn't matter how we do it, as long as we do it." Marion smiled up at her tall partner, feeling more and more glad that her old boss at least had the sense of recruiting somebody who was her equal, physically and mentally. They shook on it, and immediately called together all available agents for an emergency meeting.

__

Meanwhile…

If Butch's teeth were any softer, they would have shattered to pieces under the strain of his clenched jaw. His entire body was filled to the brim with rage and hatred, and nothing, not even his "new bosses", could derail him from his mission. Cassidy was barely able to keep up with his furious stride, keeping silent and watchful as her partner marched towards the chopper bay. Butch had overheard the shared conversation between his new bosses, and was absolutely determined to reach the very next base before they could. Hastily, he climbed into the nearest helicopter and began the liftoff procedure.

"You can't wait?" grumbled Cassidy bitterly as she climbed in after him. Butch remained silent as he fastened himself in and slowly lifted the bird up. Sighing, Cassidy did the same and resigned herself to looking out the Lexan glass, at an atmosphere that was not going to remain very peaceful for long.

"I'll show them," snarled the teal-haired man, breaking his long silence. "I'll show them, all right. I'm going to make them realize how dangerous we can _really_ be…!"

"Butch…"

"We're going to the base near Celadon," he told her. "I hope you know what to do once we get there." Silently, Cassidy nodded her head, and prepared for the inevitable fight. The rebels, she reasoned, would never know what hit them…

---------------

The thick steel door crumbled to pieces as the powerful dynamite blasted it apart, and with a well-times kick, Captain Thatcher permanently removed it from its hinges. His team rushed in as quickly as possible, taking down any opposition with several well-placed kicks. Not wasting any seconds at all, the large group of ten scurried down the hallways of the base, setting explosives everywhere and fighting off Rocket agents as they continued to march in left and right. The shrieking of imprisoned Pokemon could be heard in the distance, along with the _thud-thud_ of feet clamoring across the steel floor.

Brock quickly tackled an agent that had scurried in, and brought out his Onyx to take care of the other seven that followed him. Ash and Gary, forgetting about their rivalry, each brought out their favorite Pokemon and let them individually remove the enemy from their sights, giving Jessie, James, Jennifer, and Joyleen time to squeeze past the blockade and proceed further in, slapping more explosives everywhere they went. As the massive number of Pokemon brawled furiously, Misty guided Lenneth through the wall of soldiers and into another ward, searching tirelessly for the trapped creatures captured by Rocket.

And then, Captain Thatcher entered into the scene, his red cloak and corncob pipe making him stand out like a volcano in the plains.

"Hahaha! You yellow-bellied lily-livered booger-brained bed-wetting despicable curs want a fight?? Against the unstoppable Captain Red Thatcher?! HA! I'll show no mercy at all!!" The raging-red Captain slammed into the opposition with his fists flying, smacking up against faces, bodies, stomach, shoulders, backs, anything that he chanced to strike. The man moved quite fluidly for being so large, and slammed into the guards with such power that he made the ground shudder. Surprised by the outburst, Ash, Brock, and Gary could only watch in awe as the wild Captain defeated everything in sight.

"Go on now, I can take care'a these buffoons!" he cried. The three young boys understood and followed their comrades, taking the road that Misty and Lenneth went down so they could help free the Pokemon. They saw Nurse Joyleen taking care of Officer Jennifer right in the middle of the hallway, applying some stinging medicine to her injured leg.

"Jennifer! Are you all right?" shouted Ash as he ran to her. The teal-haired officer gave him a simple smile.

"Yes, I'm all right. You needn't worry about me; it's just a scrape. Misty and Lenneth need your help, though: Jessie and James are almost finished!"

"Right! You two be careful! Get out of here as soon as possible!" Grunting, Jennifer hoisted herself up and leaned against Joyleen for support.

"It's my responsibility to stay until everyone else has left," she managed. "When those two run by here, then we'll leave. I hope the Captain doesn't have too much fun, or else he'll miss his own ship lifting off!"

"Yeah, tough chance of that ever happening," muttered Gary sarcastically. He gave the duo another wave before springing down the hallway that the other girls had went, leaving the nurse and the officer to rest and wait.

Qucikly, Misty and Lenneth broke the locks keeping the trapped Pokemon from being free, working as hastily as their hands allowed. They were both given very powerful lock-cutters which could clip through steel that was two centimeters thick, and were making slow but sure progress as they freed more and more helpless creatures. Suddenly, their three male comrades burst into the room, asking how things were going.

"Great, but we could use some help!" shouted Misty. The three boys got right on it, freeing every Pokemon they could by any means. The process quickened significantly, and after five more minutes of hasty labor, every creature had been accounted for. The five of them carried as many of the Pokemon as they could, and sprinted back out of the hallway and out of the base.

Meanwhile, Jessie and James completed the last input for the base's self-destruct sequence, and scrambled back out of the hallway shrieking like wild children. They stopped only when they saw Nurse Joyleen supporting Officer Jennifer, and offered to help the pink-haired woman. Carefully, the four of them limped down the hallway into the main room, where Thatcher was literally tossing Team Rocket agents out of the base and into the grass outside.

"Looks like that's everyone!" he shouted as he spotted the three women and single man. "Ash and Lenneth already made it out, with those other two right after them. How long do we have?"

"We set the timer for ten minutes," replied James. "It took us about seven to spring back through the base, and we calculated in delays as well."

"We got two minutes left, then," muttered Red as he glanced at his watch. "No time to dawdle, then! Get moving! I'll leave once everyone else is okay!" Thatcher guided the four out of the base and onto the Dreadnaught, making sure that nobody was left behind. He quickly shouted orders to the crew in the bridge, barking at them to lift the hunk of machinery off the ground and into the air.

As it descended and flew away, the countdown slipped to zero, and a blast of fire and smoke erupted in the air, eliminating yet another Team Rocket base.

Ash Ketchum blew out a big sigh as he reclined on a nearby couch, sprawling his arms out wide as he allowed his entire body to slump into laziness. His weariness was perfectly natural: even at his youthful age, going through five straight Team Rocket base missions was very tiring. Misty soon joined him, letting out a squeal as she rested her head on the sofa, and soon Brock and Lenneth reclined next to him, both of them weary.

"Ohhh… what a day…" moaned Ash. Brock agreed.

"You're telling me. I never ran or fought so hard in my life! Then again, it certainly does feel great to be doing something besides running around all the time, collecting Pokemon."

"Yeah… it's like we're really doing something to help the world," agreed Misty. She just had a thought, and ignored her weariness in order to lean forward and grab the attention of her fellows. "You know, I kind of feel bad for not doing any of this before. I mean, I know that the three of us alone were pretty much powerless to do anything about it, but we could have avoided a lot of trouble if we actually took the offensive against Team Rocket."

"…Maybe," murmured Ash. "But things tend to have a way of working out. If we had started to attack Team Rocket, then we never would have made Jessie and James our friends. I used to feel weird calling them that, but now it just comes natural."

"They really have come through for us," smiled Misty warmly. "I'm proud to call them friends. I just can't believe that we were ever really enemies to begin with. Somehow, I always felt that those two were good on the inside. They just needed a push in the right direction."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Brock. "And if those other two people hadn't replaced Jessie and James, and if we didn't fail during that crisis in ZERO City, then I never would have met Lenneth!!" The beautiful silvery-haired girl chuckled at the mention of her name, and scooted closer to Brock.

"Thank you, Brock; you're sweet. I just wish that more people saw you that way. Oh well; I guess they don't know what they're missing." Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder and hugged his arm, making the poor guy nearly go faint. Normally, Misty or Ash would have groaned at the sight of Brock hitting on another woman, but Lenneth was a special young girl who defied the carbon-copied molds that so many other women seemed to come from. She was beautiful and gentle, sure, but there was just an unusual mystique about her, something _else_ that radiated from within.

The first indication that anyone got was when she told them the story of how she discovered the Dreadnaught, purely by accident (even though it had lain hidden in a very inconspicuous place for years). There was also Misty's account of her easily disabling a large machine simply by touch, and her silvery hair gave off an almost-heavenly aura, not seen in any woman for eons. She seemed simple enough, though, and content to be the affections of poor love-stricken Brock.

The four of them were content to rest there on that couch for some time, loathe to remove themselves unless the powerful scent of dinner made them rise up. Even so, Gary passed them by awhile later and asked to speak with Ash in private. Since their heated rivalry was forced to cool off because of the chaos happening all around the world, Ash temporarily regarded Gary as more of a comrade and ally than a competitor, so he didn't treat the rusty-haired boy with contempt, nor did he refuse the offer.

"Sit down," pointed Oak, as he and his rival entered into a private room. Ash sat and removed his cap, wondering what Gary wanted to say to him. The arrogant young boy slumped down on a sofa and sighed, perhaps the first real indication of regret and unrest that he had experienced since his loss at the Pokemon tournament, long ago. Both boys remained silent for awhile, wondering who would break the quiet first.

"That was… a really awesome run today, that we did," murmured Gary, keeping his eyes on the floor. Ash nodded his head.

"Yeah. I guess when we want to, we can make a pretty okay team."

"Yeah, whatever… So, ah, are you and Misty, uh…"

"Huh? Gary, what do you mean?"

"……You know," he muttered bashfully. "Are you… well, I mean… do you like each other?"

"I… guess," he replied, not sounding 100% sure. "I mean, we fight a lot and all, but… I guess I like her."

"No, not like a friend… I mean, do you… _like_ her? Like, do you have a crush on her or anything?"

"WHAT, a crush on _MISTY_??!! No _way!_ I don't feel that way about her at all! She's too spoiled, loud, childish, bossy, fickle, she's hard to understand, and she always makes me feel like I'm messing things up! Of course I don't like her like that!!"

"But if she were hurt… or in trouble… I'd bet that you'd be the first one at her side…"

"Well… yeah, I guess," he murmured. "Why are you asking me this? Do _yoooouuu_ have a crush on her?"

"It's not that," he answered, his voice getting lower and softer by the minute. "It's just… well… I can see the chemistry between you two--I mean, _really_ see it. Every time I ran into you while we were on our separate journeys, I always saw you two fighting bitterly and screaming at each other, but now that I'm spending more time with you all, I guess that you two really have a strong friendship together. You look out for each other; you're there when you need each other. Some people would call friends crutches, but I say they're pillars, necessary parts of architecture that keep the building up. That's…… uh…"

"That's what?" wondered Ash. Gary sighed and shook his head, almost sadly.

"That's… probably… the one thing I really envy of yours, Ash…"

"Huh? You _envy_ me?"

"Just on the friendship deal," he stated. "Everything else, I rule at…… but in the end, I guess you may very well beat me. It's your friends that make you stronger, the people willing to run back to you when you're injured, even though they put their own lives in danger. I only have fair-weather friends, people that bolt at the first sign of real danger. I like my entourage of girls, but… most of their adoration is just empty and fake. When I need people to tell me that I'm doing something wrong; when I'm being held accountable for my actions, I don't have anybody to turn to. You do."

Gary sighed and silenced himself, keeping still as he stared at the floor. Ash, meanwhile, stared at his rival as if a whole new side of him had just blossomed right in front of him. He never knew that Gary ever experienced anything like that, or he _envied_ Ash for something he took for granted. Ash wanted to boast about how great he now was, but with Gary looking almost miserable, it didn't seem like the right time.

"I bet Misty really cares about you a lot," he murmured after some time. "I bet she's secretly wondering how you feel about her. She must like you a lot, because any other woman would be repulsed."

"AAHH! That's not the case!" shrieked Ash. Gary snorted.

"It's also obvious that your other two friends, Jessie and James, care about each other a lot as well. They really do make a good team, and I don't just mean when they're fighting you or other Team Rocket agents. They've been through a lot, or so they tell me, and came out of it stronger and closer than before. Your friend Brock…… I guess he deserves a nice lady like Lenneth. From what Jennifer and Joyleen have told me, she'd be just his type. That means that all your friends have somebody who cares for them, or who they care for. But I don't…"

"Gary…" Compelled by forces he didn't even know existed within himself, Ash's hand reached out and touched his rival's shoulder. Gary shrugged it off and gave the slightly-younger boy his same old sassy smirk.

"At least not until recently! I think both Jennifer _and_ Joyleen have a thing for me! But can you really blame them?! It's not every day you come across a handsome and talented young man like myself!" Ash grumbled angrily at his rival, surprised at how easily his mood changed. If he had been a more mature boy, he would have known that it was all just a well-placed front that Gary put up so he wouldn't have to feel so down.

But, as Professor Oak and so many others had said before, Ash had a long way to go if he wanted to be mature.

---------------

The steel teeth of Morrison Glidden shined brilliantly in the light of the hangar as he smiled up at the six colossal machines standing before him. Years ago, when the Dreadnaughts were being created for the great wars, Professor Oak and Giovanni (among other brilliant minds) had found a way to harness incredible powers into six great machines, which they then stored somewhere inside the Dradnaught _Amazon_, hoping that such destructive power would never be needed. But in his haste to completely dominate the world, Giovanni had once again revealed their location, and Marion and Morrison took them into their own possession, finalizing the use of the old boss.

Now, with the six legendary weapons of Team Rocket available once again--six gigantic mechanical beasts, each bearing powers of the six elements of the world--the entire world would face a threat not seen since the days of the violent wars. For this challenge, there could be no possible victor; the machines were made solely for the purpose of destruction, and they would be used to finally put an end to the rebellion against Team Rocket's rule.

Upon Morrison's command, the six machines launched out of the hangar and soared across the air, each one destined to protect one of the six powerful bases of Team Rocket. If the world thought that its complete domination by Team Rocket was twilight, then this was certainly its darkest hour of all…

To be continued…


	8. Hopeless Ice Battle

Part Eight: Hopeless Ice Battle

The beautiful image of crystal and sapphire, chilly and crisp and pure like a Christmas morning, was spread out before the resting crew of the Dreadnaught like some mythical landscape, painted by a brilliant and loving artist from the merry old days of yore. There was snow everywhere, from the flattened ground to the hills in the distance, and capping off mountains like hairs on an older man's bare head. The sky was a frosty blue, clear and tranquil save for a few puffs of wispy clouds that hung stationary in the sky. The air that came down from the heavens was thin and cold, like a snowflake, and pierced the lungs and nostrils of every boy and girl seated around the campfire.

The Dreadnaught was forced to land several miles away from the Team Rocket base, as a very rare precaution from Captain Thatcher's part. Normally one with a cavalier attitude, Red Thatcher took a step of care as he flew towards the Rocket base in the frosty north, where the Articuno were rumored to thrive and where Jessie and James had been sent on their very last mission for Team Rocket. The enemy's radar was much more powerful up north, where they got less reception from other interfering waves, so Thatcher couldn't just charge forward, at least not until he had a strategy.

Ash, Brock, Gary, James, Jessie, Lenneth, and Misty were all sitting around the fire, each with a warm drink in their hands and warm clothes on their backs. Having just recently settled in and warmed themselves up, they had a bit of time to stare into the fire and contemplate their destinies. It had already been a long road for them; a tumultuous battle for world sanity and peace from Team Rocket's iron grip. Most gathered round the fire once only had their Pokemon journeys to worry about, but this new path in life was shaping their destinies even as they stared at the flames.

Gary couldn't help but notice that Misty was sitting a little closer to Ash than normally. He had spoken to his rival about their relationship, and even though he had been told that there was little there save a balanced friendship and minor competition, the rusty-haired kid couldn't help but think that there was more to it than that. He had a secret crush on Misty, but seeing her (and Brock) easily befriend the younger boy brought a slight stab to his heart. Gary might've had the hereditary know-how his grandfather passed onto him, but all the good genes in the world would not get him true companions.

Brock, of course, was busy talking with Lenneth, smiling and flirting as always, but unlike the rest of his romantic pursuits, this one in particular was not one-sided. Lenneth seemed taken in by the older boy, flattered by his flattery and cheered by his cheerfulness. There was no hiding the fact that she liked him, perhaps as much as he liked her, but there was something about the way her wintry-blue eyes glittered at him that made Gary, Thatcher, and everyone else suspect that there was more to the "simple" girl than met the eye. Whatever it was, it didn't matter--she was a sweet young lady, perhaps what Brock had been looking for all his life.

When thick-headed Ash finally noticed that Misty was scooting closer and closer to him, as they both stared at the fire, she firmly told him (or shouted at him) that it was because she was still cold, and Ash was closest to the fire. James and Jessie didn't doubt her reasoning for a second, but they had to wonder why she was cozying up to Ash when five other people were right there with her. It didn't concern them long; they were more occupied with eating and talking, mostly about themselves or how they would topple Team Rocket with ease.

One thing was definitely shared by everyone around that fire: how long it would take before order was restored and the fighting would stop. Thatcher estimated a year's time; Ash had to wonder if he could keep that kind of pace up, even with his friends with him. Of course, there was only one way to tell.

The seven friends soon heard the familiar sound of stomping boots, and turned around to see Captain Thatcher, tall and proud and standing out boldly with his red button-up jacket still on. He was descending the hatch and joining the others, along with Jennifer and Joyleen at his side. He had a determined look on his face--well, more so than usual--and a rolled-up scroll in his hand. Only he didn't seem to mind the cold; everyone else was dressed up for the chilly weather of the frozen north.

"All right, I think we got something at last," announced the Captain as he emerged, grabbing the attention of the younger ones. He summoned them to gather around a large table that had been set up, and he unrolled the scroll and placed it on the table, creating a kind of large-scale map of the area. He jabbed his pointer to where the Dreadnaught had landed.

"This is where we are… and this is where the base is," he said, tracing a line from the campsite to the base. "Our main problem is getting there. They've got a bloody powerful radar, and there's no way the _Euphrates_ can fly low nuff' for them not to notice us. We could walk, but it's at least five miles away. If they notice us, according to Miss Earp and Mr. Wyatt, they'll activate their defenses, which consist of about a dozen to twenty gun turrets. This can be overcome, though.

"The _Euphrates_ will charge up its main cannon and fire it into the base, disabling its defenses temporarily. Once there's a big gapin' hole in the base, and everyone's confused and scramblin' to put out the fire, that'll be our cue to fly you over there. This baby's fast, so you'll get there in plenty of time. Once you're back on the surface, make tracks to the insides of the base, and the Dreadnaught'll cover you just in case some of the guns reemerge. This place is sparse on Rocket agents, so you shouldn't have any trouble stormin' it and takin' over. Everybody got that?"

"It seems like the best thing to do," agreed James. "If you had a jamming pulsar cannon, you could use it to disable the guns _and_ the radar, but since you don't, this will have to do." Thatcher gave James a friendly snarl, resembling a sea-pirate as his lip curled and nostril flared. The blue-haired narcissist shivered and looked away quickly, back to the map and the written-out plan. He was confident that the insane Captain knew what he was talking about for once, but there was still a chill feeling crawling up his spine, and it had nothing to do with the weather.

"Don't worry about it, Captain!" exclaimed Ash, balling up his fist enthusiastically. "We can do it! We're not afraid! Just give us the signal!"

"All in good time, lad," smiled the doggish man. "First, we'll hafta blast'em. Everyone in the ship! Ya won't wanna be outside when this thing blows!!"

----------

Safe in the corridors of the _Euphrates_, the young crew could only wait and prepare themselves for the upcoming battle, leaving the brave but foolhardy Captain Thatcher to fire off the main cannon. They were lucky that the "shark of the skies" was so prudent in approaching the northern base, or else someone would have found them by that point. No, he was free to fire, though the distance would weaken his shot, but that was part of the plan. The point was not to destroy the base, since it had plenty of rare Pokemon inside it, but to handicap it long enough for everyone to dash in and do their business.

The ship whirred to life, and a tremendous quake rocked the entire thing as the main cannon finally blasted at the base. The Dreadnaught immediately took to the skies, flying quickly and low to the ground as the seconds of confusion ticked away. Barely sixty seconds passed before the hatch opened up again for everybody to leap out of.

"The base is disabled and its defenses are down!" shouted Thatcher's voice from the PA system. Everyone cheered and rappelled down the hatch and into the snow as Thatcher's voice repeated itself. "Repeat, the base is disabled and its defenses are down! Now's your chance, lads and lasses!" Everyone had already filed out, not needing to know anything else save an all-out attack, and scrambled towards the base over mounds of snow, all save the boisterous leader amongst them. As the nine team members plowed through sheets of white towards the large building in front of them, it seemed as if they were already overwhelming the enemy, as they could see the smoke, fire, and rubble from the shot.

But just as they neared the base, another quake shook the ground beneath them, and disaster struck as the ground yawned open, erupting frozen lava and soil as a terrifying machine, larger than the largest Pokemon on record, emerged from out of nowhere! Everyone tumbled in their tracks, shocked beyond words as the enormous sentinel slithered in front of them. It was in the shape of a great sea-serpent, with blue scales made of tough armor, several gun turrets where its whiskers were, a razor-sharp tail, and a mouth that surged with energy and crippling force.

"What in the world is THAT!!" screamed Ash, his face as pale as the ground beneath him. Nobody seemed to know or care at the time; the enormous creature dove towards them, its guns already firing at a merciless pace. The nine comrades scattered, their minds racing along with their legs. There was no time to try and understand what the creature was: the key now was to survive it.

The machine drilled through the ground, spewing up snow and dirt at an incredible pace, sending them showering down on everyone as they made a pathetic attempt at running from the immense monster. Its tail, sticking out of the ground, lashed at everything in its path as the main body burrowed through, splitting apart the ground and creating deep gashes in the cold earth. It was absolutely mindless and completely unstoppable, and just when somebody thought they had a strategy to stop it, the bluish monster emerged, roaring fiercely as its guns sprayed the world with bullets.

Ash and Misty dove out of the way, barely escaping the shower of death as they leaped to safety. Shivering with fear and icy cold, Ash rolled around in the snow and sat up, watching helplessly as the monster gave chase to Jessie and James. The blue-haired man had already tried to slow the monster down with his Wheezing, but nothing he had worked at all.

Figuring that a machine would stop if struck by electricity, Ash called out Pikachu to blast the monster. The little yellow rodent summoned up all his strength and sent his mightiest thunderbolt screaming towards the monster, but it did little than tickle its metallic hide. The monster stopped chasing James and Jessie, though, and turned around to leer at the little boy who dared attack it. Slowly, its mouth began to glow a bright blue as it gathered energy for a devastating attack, and it was yawning right at Ash! The young boy screamed and tried to run, but the monster's head moved with him, watching him attempt to scurry away from the upcoming blast.

Suddenly, it was rammed by Brock's Onyx and Gary's Kangaskhan, sending it lurching forward and disrupting its aim. The immense wave of power came belching out of its mouth, flowing into the sky and shredding apart the very heavens. Everyone stared in mindless horror as they saw the blast, some too petrified to thank the two young men for their deed. The blue serpent angrily turned its rage back on Brock and Gary once its blast had subsided, and flicked at them with its tail. They dove away, but the ground shuddered beneath them from the blow, sending them tumbling away head-first into the snow.

Officer Jennifer stepped in, firing precise shots at its head in an attempt to disable something, but all she did was draw its attention towards her. The machine was too big and powerful to be affected, and it returned her fire a dozen times over with its whisker gun turrets. Jennifer barely ducked for cover, one of the bullets grazing past her arm and leg in the process. Joyleen quickly scooped her up and dragged her to safety, but the monster's lack of mercy was deep, and it spewed out snow with a flick of its tail, burying her in the raining avalanche.

With the group split apart in so many directions, Lenneth scurried fast towards those she thought most wounded. She reached the buried Joyleen and Jennifer first, hastily tossing aside handfuls of snow in an attempt to dig them out. She fished out the wounded Jennifer first, her leg and arm with two noticeable but small red scars. Joyleen came next, sputtering out white flakes and gasping for breath. Jennifer assured them both that she was okay, and ran with Lenneth to help Brock and Gary.

Meanwhile, Ash and Misty had called out all their Pokemon, and they were doing their best to keep the monster busy. They were barely able to slow it down, though, since it was slithering towards them like a locomotive, and little save a mountain would have made it crash. They could see James and Jessie running towards them, their own Pokemon trying to slow the beast down, but stopping it didn't seem like their purpose. Wheezing mucked up its gun turrets, giving its master and his partner the time they needed to rush over to Ash.

"What's up, guys?" he asked. The two former Rockets gave him their standard up-to-no-good smiles and displayed what looked like fishing nets.

"The genius of Jessie and James lives on even now!" he declared. "Take these and throw them over that creature!"

"But what will they do?" wondered Misty, taking a handful. "That creature's too big and powerful to be stopped by something so small as this."

"True," noted Jessie, "but these nets can conduct electricity. All we need to do is cover that thing in them, and have your Pikachu blast it. He'll get fried in a snap!" Ash let out an exclamation as his two friends loaned him another one of their trademark schemes, and for the umpteenth time in his friendship with them, he was glad they were on his side. Quickly, the four of them spread out and flung the nets over the monster, slowly covering it as Wheezing, Arbok, and several of Misty's Pokemon kept it still. By the time they had covered it up, Lenneth had managed to gather everyone together.

"We're all okay!" she shouted as she ran towards the other half of the team. "How about you?"

"Couldn't be better!" exclaimed Misty. On Ash's signal, Pikachu let out a second big bolt, this one connecting with shocking force, pun intended. The blast surged across the nets, amplifying the electric power that was sent coursing across the monster's body, trembling it with the power of a storm and disabling it with a mighty BOOM!

Everyone cheered and rushed in to finish the creature, combining all their Pokemon to shred it apart. Every single one of the creatures, when combined, inflicted heavy damage on the wounded serpent, and up from its throat came a groaning sound, as if a true behemoth was being slain. The monster shivered to life suddenly as it was being attacked, struggling to wriggle free and reboot its power systems. But it had been damaged beyond resurrection, and the only thing it could do was move its tail and call forth its brethren.

And to the surprise of everyone on that field of crystal, that was exactly what happened. No sooner did the beast let out a groan, the ground erupted to life as at least a dozen new turrets sprang to life, their mouths ready to spew unholy judgment. The monster, it seemed, was a powerfully effective distraction. Even if it did not destroy any intruders, it would stall them just long enough for the backup guns to finish them off. To make matters worse, the Rocket base decided that that very moment would be good to recover its defenses, and all the original guns blazed back to life as well, firing in every direction.

Immediately, James called Wheezing to use a smokescreen, and everyone hid under a mound of snow as the guns blazed after them. Jennifer, her wounds healing quickly thanks to Joyleen's and Lenneth's work, called Captain Thatcher on her cell phone and gave him the stats.

"Captain! We're bogged down here and there's no way to reach the base! The defenses are back online, and more with them! We were slowed down by a gigantic blue snake-like machine, who we have recently subdued. Requesting backup!"

"Jennifer, you're way outnumbered!" shouted Thatcher over the phone (he literally shouted, since he could be heard even over the gunfire). "Get out of there quickly!"

"Outnumbered? What do you mean?"

"Look!" shouted Joyleen, and as everyone turned around, they saw that the Team Rocket agents, who had been precariously hiding in their base the whole time, were now storming out of it in droves, armed and fresh and ready for combat. Jennifer gasped in amazement and returned to her phone.

"Captain, you're right! We _are_ outnumbered! What should we do?"

"Abort the mission and retreat! There's nothing else you can do!"

"But what about the Pokemon and the base?" shouted Ash, nearly deafening poor Jennifer. Thatcher coughed back at him in a grave voice.

"Sorry, lad, but your lives are more important to me right now. Those Pokemon will have to wait. There's no way you can move any further. Running away is the best option."

"Sounds good to me," agreed Jessie. James gave her the nod, but everyone else seemed doubtful. They weren't used to losing or running away, unlike their two friends, especially when so much was on the line. But Thatcher was right: if they stayed any longer, they would have been mowed down by the guns or else taken prisoner by the guards. They had no choice.

"Understood, Captain," said Jennifer at long last. "We'll be moving out. Request for the main cannon to be fired again in order for our escape to be a success."

"Request being carried out now," replied Thatcher. "Just concentrate on running. Sorry, Officer. Good luck!"

"Thank you." Jennifer put her cell phone away, and quickly took charge as she and Joyleen led everyone in a sprint across the snowy plains, James' Wheezing giving everyone the cover they needed as they ran. Gunfire chased after them like the locusts of Apollyon, and a few arms, heels, shoulders, and legs were nicked and cut as the bullets barely missed their mark. Brock was cut right on the leg and fell, but Lenneth jumped in and caught him before he could slam into the snow.

"Brock! Hang on just a little bit longer!" She gave him a hasty smile behind her shout of desperation, and helped him limp the rest of the way. Suddenly, Nurse Joyleen screamed as she saw the main cannon of the Dreadnaught charge up, and ordered everybody to duck, cover, and shield their eyes and ears from the mighty blast. No Pokemon in existence could have shielded them, so the best they could hope for was to dive behind a snow bank and ball up in dreadful anticipation.

With a BOOM, the _Euphrates_ fired its main cannon for the second time that day, sending it straight to the heart of the turrets. The explosion carved a deep crater in the ground, destroying three guns instantly and five others from the hurtling debris. The pursuing Rocket agents dove for cover as well, reducing the number of attackers in the field and giving everyone else the chance they needed to complete their getaway. As soon as she felt it was safe, Joyleen led everyone on a mad dash towards the ship, where they all filed in as quickly as they could before the thing took off in a hasty retreat.

Everyone let out a breath of relief as they were finally able to stop running, completely exhausted from the lengthy battle--but not just physically. There was inner strain as well, for many among their group had never felt true defeat in their lives. Jessie and James were actually beaming with enthusiasm, glad to have escaped with their lives, but everyone else, once they recovered from physical weariness, was still miserable.

It would definitely not be their first loss.

To be continued…


	9. In Hot Pursuit

Part Nine: In Hot Pursuit

"Hold on, mates! We're not outta this one yet!" Captain Thatcher burst into the room, giving a hasty announcement that only added to the fear felt across the small room. They had already escaped from death once and were sure that they were safe, but it seemed as if Team Rocket had more tenacity than originally thought. Wounded, weary, and staggering from their first failed attempt, the group of nine followed the ship's commanding officer to the bridge, where they saw something that set their hearts frozen.

An entire score of Team Rocket helicopters, twenty strong, were already flying after them, their guns rattling off in a mad attempt to destroy the ship and its rebellious crew once and for all. James and Jessie had never known their former organization to be so ruthless and persistent, especially whenever the opposing side was running away, but they just assumed that they wanted to finish the job.

"Persistent brutes, _aren't_ you?!" snapped Jessie angrily. "Hmph… these freaks look like trouble!"

"They're more than trouble, Jess…" hissed James as he braced himself for a second battle. "These freaks of yours don't want us running away, they want us to die. It's not enough that we're beaten; we have to be slaughtered as well!"

"There'll be no slaughterin' while I'm Captain of this ship!" shouted Thatcher, growling angrily. "Bah, come and get me, ya flying Rocket rats!!! Joyleen!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

"Take the wounded to wherever they need to go! Lenneth, you go with'er! I'm gonna need the rest of you to come to the bridge with me!" The two women understood and helped carry Brock and Jennifer to the ship's clinic, while everyone else followed the crimson Captain. As the Dreadnaught buckled from the assault of dozens of stinging bullets, everyone braced themselves carefully for the unexpected turbulence. Thatcher, stubborn to his final heartbeat, continued to run to the bridge, already barking out orders.

"He certainly has courage," commented Misty. Ash agreed, and followed her to the bridge with Gary, James, and Jessie on his tail. Suddenly, the Captain took a sharp turn in the direction away from the bridge, confusing everybody with his random action.

"Gotta fix the thrusters!" he yelled. "Ship's movin' too slow! Somethin's wrong! You all go to the bridge and hold'er steady! Ain't nothin' to it, now go!" Before they could make an objection, he was already gone, leaving them little choice but to go on without him.

Confused but determined, Misty burst into the bridge first, gathering the attention of the navigation crew with a single stare.

"We're under attack!" she shouted, as if they didn't know already. "And the Captain wanted _us_ to help steer the ship!"

"He must be repairing the thrusters if that's the case," muttered the chief navigator. Misty gave the older boy a confused look.

"Huh? How did you know that?"

"The ship's much slower than usual, and only he's crazy enough to try and fix it while the blasted thing's moving. Thanks for telling us that; we'll take it from here! Just hang on!" With that, the navigator temporarily took control of the _Euphrates_, guiding it to the best path of escape while Rocket's helicopters were still after them. Misty looked worried, but a simple smile from Gary assured her.

"Don't worry, they know what they're doing! Now hurry up and fasten your safety belts! It's gonna be a bumpy ride! Hey, I always wanted to say that!" Misty and the others took his advice, and strapped themselves in as the ship swerved left and right, barely dodging the spray of bullets and the roar of the slightly-slower choppers.

Captain Thatcher could feel the ship rocking and being knocked around, but he had full confidence in his team of navigators. All he needed to do was focus on the thrusters, a delicate operation even during stationary times, but with the Dreadnaught shaking and moving around so much, only he could've had the guts to dare try such a risky task.

However, Thatcher was barely able to tweak a few parts together when the ship rumbled out of control. He froze briefly, unsure of the cause, and was nearly thrown to his feet as his Dreadnaught trembled again.

"There's no way them could be bullet shots!" he swore. "What the heck is going on…?"

"Captain, hurry!"

"Huh?" Thatcher glanced around him, spotting a PA system just above the door to the thruster repair room, which was where the voice had came from. Putting the propulsion aside for the time being, the Captain marched through the Dreadnaught and tore into the bridge, capturing everyone's attention away from the chase for a brief moment.

"Why'd ya call me up here? Don't'cha know that I gotta repair that thruster?!"

"But Captain, we're heading towards an archipelago of active volcanoes!!!" Thatcher dropped his pipe from his mouth when he heard that, and sure enough, the white faces of the crew and the spewing red flares in the viewing screens before them told him that yes, they _were_ entering into one of the most dangerous areas of the world--a place full of constantly active volcanoes! Thatcher brainstormed for only a second before he scrambled towards the wheel and began shouting orders.

"Stay your course! Increase coolant! Alert everyone on board of our progress!"

"You can't possibly be serious!!!" screamed Jessie frantically. "You're not actually thinking of flying right _into_ an archipelago full of active volcanoes?!?!"

"They'd be crazy to follow us, right?" Jessie almost fainted as the Captain muttered out his senseless logic--James did faint--and everyone was sent into a panic as their beloved Captain plotted a suicide course, straight into the erupting pillars of flame. Already, the tongues of Hades lashed out at the ship, licking at it like Cerberus as it danced through the endless perils. Flames shot out, reaching for them with hot arms and fingers, barely singeing the protective outer layer of the Dreadnaught.

"We're not going to make it!" shouted Brock. "Captain, you don't have to do this to impress us!"

"I ain't," he replied gruffly. He turned the wheel suddenly just as another spurt of lava belched out at him, rocking the entire vessel and sending even those fastened in on a trip. He quickly wheeled it in the other direction just as fast, sending everybody lurching in the other way. He thrust the Dreadnaught down, underneath a column of erupting flame, and hoisted it upwards to avoid a low shoot of fire.

Meanwhile, the Rocket helicopters still pursued, though their luck was not so great. They split up into groups of two and fanned out across the archipelago sky, closing in on the swerving ship as they too bucked and rode through the deadly air. Suddenly, one of the volcanoes burped out hot magma, drowning one of the choppers in a sea of fire instantly. Another avoided this fate, only to swerve left into an unexpected burst. Two more dove down a flaming archway and pursued, and three split apart and converged when shooting fires exploded beneath them.

The lava poured out mercilessly, but Captain Thatcher had the bravery, the luck, and the skill to get through the storm without receiving more than a few burns. The Dreadnaught had taken a dip in the Sea of Fire and emerged back alive, but only thanks to the steering power of the Captain. As all seemed to calm down, Misty looked back and saw that the number of helicopters pursuing them had decreased to half their number.

"Look, most of them have left!" she pointed. James looked out and shook his head darkly.

"I'm sure a few retreated… but there are those that were destroyed…"

"Oh no… that's terrible!" moaned Misty, sadly hugging Togepi close. "I know they were our enemies, but still…"

"This is war, pure an' simple," muttered Thatcher as he swerved the ship away from a nearby blast. "Team Rocket wouldn't show us the same compassion or mercy. I don't mean to be cruel, but it's either them or us. They knew the risks and the consequences of their actions when they decided to side with the enemy, and we know the rules for our side as well. War is terrible, but necessary to spill the bad blood and renew life again." The red-cloaked man went back to his wheel after divulging a philosophical moment, leaving everyone else to gaze at him quietly.

The moment of peace didn't last, however, as the ship buckled again from a nearby lava spurt. Thatcher cursed violently and wheeled the ship away from harm, but it seemed as if they were entering into yet another portion of the archipelago, just as bad as the last. The brave and insane Captain guided his precious ship like he had been possessed by mighty birds, flying it into impossible twists and turns as he evaded the magnitude of the hellish heat. He allowed some burns to scorch him, but only because they allowed him to avoid the really big blasts.

The helicopters were not doing so well. After half their number had fled or were decimated, the other half tentatively followed, putting more and more distance between them and their prey. A wall of fire shot up and consumed two at once, forcing the remaining eight to flee away quickly. One of them traveled too far, and was unable to get out of the way as another burst scorched it, leaving the other seven to pursue as they dared. They managed to get a few clear shots, shaking the _Euphrates_ but otherwise leaving it intact.

"C'mon, girl!" growled Thatcher as he performed feats of aerial acrobatics. "Live up to yer name! Be like a swift river, fast and powerful, and invincible to the tongues of fire that threaten to kill ya with thirst! Ha HAA, but I'm glad I didn't repair ye!"

"Are you insane, Captain?!" balked the chief navigator. Thatcher merely shook his head and laughed.

"Nay, nay! If I had, this thing would be goin' too fast, and we woulda been fried to a crisp long ago! HAA, but we're movin' at a delightful speed! Can't say the same for them choppers! AUGH, ya teat-suckin' babies, come and get me! See if ya can't even _touch_ the mighty shark o'th' skies!!!" Mindless with the lust of battle and challenge, or else just mindless, Thatcher continued to outrun the choppers, slowly swerving through the storm and leaving them in his wake. A clearing just appeared in the distance, guarded by a seemingly-impenetrable wall of flame. Thatcher grinned, and sped up full throttle as Mother Nature challenged him.

"Captain! You'll kill us all!" screamed the chief navigator. Thatcher almost burned red himself with excitement.

"Nonsense, boy! This is what I was BORN for! Now face my wrath, you sick scurvy maggots!!" With an amazing twist, Thatcher barely tweaked the _Euphrates_ through a very tiny opening in the wall that only he seemed to have found, leaving the remaining choppers to follow him and fail, creating a final massive explosion that guaranteed their freedom. Thatcher himself let out a yawp, but everyone else moaned and groaned as they tried to recover from all the moving around.

"That… was… a trip…" moaned Ash. Gary could barely hold in what little breakfast he had eaten that morning.

"Urgh… this can't be good for those in the clinic… I'm glad I wasn't hurt in that battle!"

"We'll check up on everything later," promised Thatcher, quickly calming down from the adrenaline rush. "Right now, we've got to find a safe place to hide. Those Rockets are off our tail for now, but they'll find us sooner or later. Navigator, any ideas?"

"There's a small island just off the coast of the Sapphire continent," he reported, struggling to stand. "We could… make shelter there for awhile."

"All right, sounds good. Ash, Misty, Gary, you three go ahead and rest up. James milad, Jessie milady, you too. I think we've all earned it. Mr. Christopher! About that thruster!"

"I'll get on it right away as soon as we land and cool down!" Thatcher smiled and patted his belly, then remembered that he had rushed into the room with a pipe, and went looking for it. Everyone else stood up as best they could, and limped towards their quarters so they could rest. Slowly, the Dreadnaught landed on the island, and the next phase of the war against Team Rocket began.

To be continued…


	10. Gathering of Heroes, Part 1

Part Ten: Gathering of Heroes, Part One

It was anything but the best of times, and everything from the worst. It felt as if a boulder had been strapped to the hearts and spines of everyone taking a breather outside, a burden of unfamiliar weight cast upon them by their very recent loss. Of course, Jessie and James were actually the most optimistic ones there, since they had become so used to losing. They were very cheerful and sunny, going around and sharing their smiles of relief and "victory" with everyone else. Their kindness lightened the burden for everybody, but it did not remove it.

The more mature people in the group knew that it was folly to expect perfect victory. There was no way that any of them could have challenged Team Rocket without a few bruises and scars to show for it, just as there was no way to climb a mountain without receiving some injuries. It really wasn't even the defeat itself that ate at their hearts and minds, it was the _concept_ of it. Ash, Brock, Gary, and Misty were just not used to losing, especially to Team Rocket. It was a lesson they would have to learn the hard way, and certainly not with speed, but it was a gigantic step towards maturity.

Joyleen and Lenneth, along with the rest of the medical staff, were completing their rounds as Thatcher prepared a sparse meal. Brock and Jennifer had received the brunt of punishment from the previous battle, but thanks to the kind care of their individual counterparts, they both recovered with little more than scars. Brock loved to have the attention of Lenneth even more than Joyleen, due to the fact that they were drawing very close together. Lenneth was an enthusiastic ray of sunshine to the breeder, and a valuable crane that pulled everyone else out of the mire of depression.

Ash and Gary were moping the most, of course. Misty saw their downcast faces and initially felt sorry for them, but she also remembered that young boys oftentimes had big egos, and these two had the biggest. Gary immediately assured her that everything was fine, and if a few minor circumstances had gone differently, he could've won the battle easily. Ash was at least a little more humble, welcoming Misty's presence with a faint smile--and later, a denial of his dreariness. Misty couldn't help but sigh in annoyance, but at least they were _trying_ to stay optimistic.

"So what do we do now, Captain?" asked Joyleen as she walked in on the older man. He was smiling softly, singing an old sea shanty as he fried the evening's dinner. As with most sailors, whether by sea or sky, Thatcher was an impressive cook and knew how to turn most anything into a meal. The brew was as delicious to smell as his song was to hear, and they both lifted the Nurse's spirit's a little.

"Well, I figger we can eat first," he replied with a sly smile. "Can't save the world on an empty stomach, eh? Next, we'd better rest. Them last two battles took a lot outta all of us, specially the ship, so we'll need to recuperate. Then, I guess we'd better get moving again and see if we can't whittle their bases down."

"Are you sure that would be a good idea, sir?"

"Nurse Joyleen," he stated, as if speaking firmly to a curious daughter, "if you ever learn anything while livin', it's that there ain't no other way to move except forward. Goin' backwards wouldn't work cuz' we can't change the past, an' goin' sideways to avoid the problem won't get us anywhere either. The only place left for us to go is forward, so that's what I intend to do." Joyleen smiled warmly at the Captain's profound speech, herself moved almost to tears at how eloquent the brash man could be.

Thatcher indeed wrote himself off as a wild card, a very heavy drinker, a man who liked his pipes and would pilot anything if it could float or fly. He was loud as the crashing waves, and very boisterous, and loved to command his people and his presence everywhere he went. Yet Captain Red Thatcher could also be very warm and compassionate, a tough man with a heart of gold and strikingly respective of everybody, no matter how frail they were or how drunk he got. He was freakishly roguish and a harmless charmer, a good man whom his followers would accompany straight into Styx and back, a cavalier without any fear, but a yearning for adventure that always burned.

"Captain… you're right," smiled Joyleen, clasping her hands together. "I'm sorry. It's just that… well… I'm worried about the morale of this group. I know you'd keep fighting as long as you still had a breath and a pulse, but everybody else seems so down."

"One loss don't make a war," he reminded her sagely. "There never was a perfect army, nor a perfect General. I'm just glad we got this far without feelin' too much of a sting. I'll let everyone cool off, though, and maybe I can give'm a rousing speech. I'm good at those."

"You certainly are!" agreed Joyleen with a bright squeal. "Why, just being around you has made me feel all warm inside! I feel like I could take on the entire Team Rocket all by myself!" Thatcher laughed out loud, though not impolitely, and jabbed at the Nurse with his pipe as if to encourage her.

"Yeah, I'll bet you could! But hey, you're even more helpful as a Nurse! Tell ya what: why don't you call everyone over here? I'm almost ready and I feel a whopper of a speech coming on! Go on, tell'em!" Joyleen obeyed and immediately dashed off to gather the main crew and passengers. Thatcher grinned as he saw her go, and put the finishing touches to the simple dinner. Having never experienced depression, fear, or personal failure, Thatcher's ability to boost morale and to see the good in any situation was just as integral to the team as his skills as a pilot and commander.

-----

Nurse Joyleen's heightened spirit, along with James' enthusiasm, Jessie's encouraging words, and Lenneth's bright personality, each goaded everyone else to gather together and listen to Thatcher speak. Of course, by that time, Misty was in a better mood thanks to a personal chat with Jessie, and Brock was in heaven after receiving a tiny kiss on the forehead from Lenneth, leaving only Ash and Gary still reeling from the loss. When they came to where Captain Thatcher had been cooking, the mere look on his zealous face told them that they would soon be fired up once again.

"I realize the lot of you are hungry and depressed," he began, sounding like a General stirring his troops. "Well, that's okay. I understand half of that, anyway: I'm always hungry but I'm never depressed. Well, I fixed y'all a good meal here, but before I ask you to stuff yourselves, I just wanna say how much of an honor it's been to have you lads and ladies on my team! In all my years, I've honestly never had the camaraderie that you all've given me, except for Jen, Joy, and Lenneth, naturally. Anyway, I don't know how to deal with depression or personal failure, since I ain't never been in those situations. I've always been the kind of guy who took life by the horns, no matter how powerful the bull behind them was. I've done pretty well so far, and even after this last incident, I feel confident that we can still win.

"I've literally been given the best team here! I got the grandson of Professor Oak, as well as the old guy's pupil, and two former members of Team Rocket. I have a water Pokemon expert, a Pokemon breeder, a fine police officer and a fine nurse, and of course, one of the most enthusiastic, warm, kind, and caring young ladies I've ever come across. We're the greatest team in the world!! Nuts to Team Rocket, I say; _we're_ the best and there ain't no denyin' it! An' you all have been given the chance to serve and fight alongside the best and most brilliant Captain in the world, the one-and-only shark of the skies--me!"

Thatcher ended his speech with a thunderous laughter, earning applause from all save Ash and Gary, and only because they were not already elated when they arrived. By then, they were smiling and feeling unstoppable, and soon they joined in cheering for the Captain and his stirring speech. With a mighty shout, he called them over to eat their supper, and never was a more enthusiastic crowd so eager to dine. Perhaps nothing could have deterred their dreams now--perhaps.

"Hold it right there!!"

Everyone froze in their tracks and looked up to see where the voices had came from, and found two figures standing high above them on a plateau. The sun was shining down on them, casting their shadows over the group like some apropos omen of things to come. Jessie and James squinted in the light, and nearly dropped their plates as they recognized the intruders.

"Oh, no! It can't be!" she growled. "Anybody but them!"

"Yes!" shouted the voices. "It's us!!"

"For trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all peoples in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"CASSIDY!"

"BUTCH!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now, or you will surely lose the fight!"

"It's Futch and Cassidy!!" spat James, clenching his fists. Butch growled even louder than either one of them.

"You nincompoop! It's _Butch!_ My name is _Butch!_ Can't you ever get it right?!"

"That's what I said!" argued James, taking a swipe at the air. Ash, Misty, and Brock groaned.

"Oh great… how did Team Rocket find us all the way out here? Hey, aren't you two supposed to be in jail?"

"Oh, we got out," gloated Cassidy with a wicked smile. "Our boss was extremely generous and forgiving--but we certainly won't be!"

"Accurate as ever, Cass," sneered Butch. "These fools have no idea what's in store for them!" Together, the two Rockets nodded at each other and leaped off the plateau, landing in front of everybody with their trademark jackal's smiles. Everybody braced themselves for a battle, but only brave Captain Thatcher took a step towards them.

"Now listen here, you two scoundrels! If you're really from Team Rocket, we won't show you any mercy either! You can go back and tell your bosses that _we've_ been the ones who've been destroying their bases! You have no idea who yer dealin' with here!"

"Ah, so our guess was right," sang Cassidy wickedly. "And more so than we thought. James, Jessie, we're almost glad to see you two alive. We didn't think you'd perish in a mere blaze as the reports said."

"Ha! You've gravely underestimated us!" shouted Jessie angrily, her fists balling up and her teeth bared. "Not only did we escape, but we escaped without even breaking a sweat!"

"Well, that's not exactly--"

"(Quiet, Misty!)" she hissed. "Anyway, what are you two doing here? Are you here to fight or something?" She expected her archrivals to answer with a quick affirmative, but instead, Butch and Cassidy remained silent. They kept staring at the group, keeping their eyes on everybody for a long time, especially their former coworkers. They exchanged looks every now and then that suggested there was much more to their visit than a fight, and seemed unable to say anything without inflicting some kind of pain on themselves.

"Well? Answer me!"

"…No, we're not," muttered Butch at long last. Jessie lurched back in confusion.

"Huh? Then… why?"

"Please don't make us say it," snarled Cassidy quietly. Her face was grimacing in anger, her eyes shivering and her clenched fist trembling with rage. "Please, don't. It's so humiliating…"

"What? What is it?" asked Ash. "If you're not here to fight, then what?"

Another silence.

"…We came… to join forces with you."

"WHAAAAT???"

"We came to join forces with you, okay!" Both Butch and Cassidy snapped back at the larger group, their faces red with anger and their teeth snarling. It wasn't as if nobody had heard them, it was just a puzzling concept to think of. James and Jessie had crossed the thin line between good and wicked several times in the past, but Butch and Cassidy were different stories. Their loyalty to Rocket was absolute, and they were far from the incompetent level their coworkers were, so it was difficult to believe that they would ever think of crossing over to join the fight against their own employers. Ash figured that there had to be a good reason for it, though he couldn't think of one.

"But… why?" he asked. "I thought you two were with Team Rocket!"

"We were," muttered Butch softly. "But… no, we're not. Not anymore."

"Oh? Why the sudden change of heart?" Again, the two Rockets--or former Rockets, as it seemed to be--kept silent as they stood there, clenching their teeth at some unknown injustice.

"The boss… we saw him die… we saw who killed him!"

"Augh! You did?!" squealed James. "Ah… who? Who was it? Were you caught?"

"No, we weren't caught or seen. It's just that… well… we saw who betrayed him, and who ended the dynasty of the Team Rocket we loved and served. Once the boss was betrayed and killed, there was no longer any point in staying behind. We knew that we had to avenge his death, and the only way to do that…"

"Was to do battle against Team Rocket." Butch and Cassidy sighed, shaking their heads sadly as if they had learned their houses had burned to the ground. James interrogated them further.

"But who did it? You said that the boss was betrayed. Did somebody in Team Rocket betray him?"

"Yes," sighed Cassidy quietly. "It was those two new agents, Marion and Morrison. They were the ones who killed him."

"_Those two?!?!_" Everyone was stricken with shock as a new revelation was revealed to them, and the unthinkable act of any Team Rocket member, especially those most powerful and respected by the boss, dared to toy at their minds. James and Jessie were frozen with astonishment and disbelief, and could only gape like a couple of stuffed fish as the news absorbed into their minds.

"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Brock, who had returned to his senses first. "Them _again!_ First it's the Legendary Pokemon Master, then it's the city from the future, and now Team Rocket! It's as if they truly want to take over the world!"

"There's definitely a pattern," agreed Gary. "I don't know these two people, but it's safe to say that they're the ones who we'll be fighting. They've most likely orchestrated this entire thing from the very start. Once their old boss outlived his usefulness, they would get rid of him! But still… that's a cruel thing to do!"

"You have no idea," growled Butch angrily. "Giovanni was our light, our rock, our foundation. We devoted our entire lives to his goals and dreams. Even when he began to favor those new people over us, we continued to serve him to the best of our abilities."

"But when he was murdered before our eyes, we could take no more," continued Cassidy. "We ultimately decided that we should avenge his death and stop Team Rocket. It's strayed so far from its original goals that it's no longer recognizable. You two should consider yourselves lucky that you were fired before any of this ever happened," she said, indicating James and Jessie. "I know we've never gotten along in the past, but we're glad you're safe and not slaves like the others."

"You… are?"

"Tough to believe, eh Jess?" Cassidy gave her archrival a smirk, and it was returned with just as much sass. Captain Thatcher, the oldest and the one with the most experience and wisdom on his shoulders, stepped forth and recapped the situation.

"Awright, so lemme get this straight. Basically, you saw your boss gettin' killed by the people we're going up against, and now you wanna avenge his death. The only way you can really do that is to get more power, and you figured that this lil' group here would get you where you needed to go, am I right?"

"Pretty much," they replied. "That's why we didn't want to admit it. Can you imagine how embarrassing it is, getting down on our knees and asking to join you? Ugh…"

"Hey!" screamed James. "If we can do it, you can do it! It wasn't easy for us either, but we were just as desperate as you are now!"

"Look, just… let us work together for a little while," sighed Butch, not wanting to sink any lower than he had already. "Once Team Rocket is cleaned of this menace, we'll part ways again. Just don't think we're your friends or anything. We're only doing this so we can avenge our leader and destroy the two monsters who killed him."

"So is it a deal?" asked his counterpart. James and Jessie gave each other a wary look.

"Should we trust them?" she asked.

"Do we have a choice?" he replied. "Ash, Misty, and Brock let us join them. I don't see why we can't do the same." She nodded her head.

"All right. Well, I guess it's official. We're allies until Team Rocket is no more." Carefully, the four former members of Team Rocket shook hands and agreed to the terms, and one by one, everyone reluctantly accepted Cassidy and Butch into their crew, making their total number one dozen. It would be very difficult trusting them from that point on, but if it meant getting the war finished faster, so be it.

"By the way," said Butch once they had officially joined the team, "did any of you happen to run across an enormous mechanical monster while on your journey?"

"Yeah, we did! Way up at the Team Rocket base in the frozen lands!"

"And you're still alive?" gasped Cassidy, not bothering to hide her surprise. Everyone confirmed it, of course, leaving her even more surprised.

"Why do you ask?" asked Misty. Butch raised his finger and explained everything for those uninformed.

"That machine you met was just one of the six legendary machines built long ago, during the time of the last great Pokemon war! Few people know about them, and not even a member of Team Rocket would have heard of them! We overheard the boss and those other two people talking about it as we eavesdropped on their conversations, and we've spent a lot of time researching them before we arrived."

"The six monsters represent the six elements of the world," continued Cassidy. "Each one is designed after the guardian of the element, and each bears that element's power. For example, the Angel machine is a Light-element and has Psychic powers, and the Dryad is a Wind-element and has Grass powers. These machines are exceptionally powerful and nearly impossible to destroy, _unless_ you use the opposite element against them, like Fire for the Dryad or Water against the Earth-element."

"So the creature we saw must've been a Water-element!" exclaimed Brock. "It looked like a giant sea-serpent! I guess we should've figured it out sooner!"

"Is it still operational?" asked Butch. Brock shook his head.

"No, it can't possibly be. We destroyed it pretty good, and even if it were, it wouldn't be very effective. Hey, that's right! We had Pikachu zap it with electricity! And a lightning-type like Pikachu would be strong against that monster!"

"How very resourceful," purred Cassidy. "Well, then it looks like you're not as hopeless as we thought!"

"AND WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!?!" screamed Misty and Jessie. Cassidy shirked back and gave them a watery reassurance.

"Oh, lighten up!" she smiled. "I was simply saying that we thought you would fare worse!"

"You have to admit that even Jessie and James can't fail _every_ time!" agreed Butch.

"You monster! How dare you say that!!!"

"Whaaaat? I didn't mean anything by it, honest!" Captain Thatcher chuckled wildly as the four archrivals screamed and argued with each other, and since it seemed as if things were getting back on track again, he let the two newest members of the crew join in on the dinner. They would need it, as their next few missions would be tough ones…

To be continued…


	11. Crucible

Part Eleven: Crucible

_It was strange of us to think of Butch and Cassidy as being allies of ours, especially considering that they had been as much of a pain as their rivals. Once I began to really think about it, I found it strange that Jessie and James should be the ones to accept them in, especially since it was those two who our new "friends" taunted the most. I knew that we were desperate for help and that we'd take anybody, but I really had to question their motive…_

I knew we didn't have the luxury to think about things like that. Even Lenneth, who was usually very optimistic about things, spoke of how difficult our path would be from here on out. We would definitely need every hand that we found, and whether or not they had once been an enemy of ours didn't seem to matter. Butch and Cassidy were with us, for better and for worse, and we would have to put aside our differences until everything was set straight with Team Rocket.

I couldn't begin to understand how they must've felt--and not just by coming to us and asking for help. They were betraying their own job, and everything that they had lived and worked for. I know that they said that there was nothing else left of the Team Rocket they once knew and revered, and that everything changed when their old boss was killed, but still… they must've been going through a lot of mental anguish. I had to admit that there was a part of me that wanted to talk to them about it, and Ash and Misty agreed. We ended up letting them be alone--or should I say, we ended up avoiding them as much as possible. Only Jessie and James, strangely, seemed to be around them the most.

I suppose it's all one big case of "déjà vu" for us--after all, we didn't trust James and Jessie when they first joined up with us, but now they're our friends. Even I put my faith in them now, and I was the one who was most against their coming! I guess it's because I'm older and a little more experienced than all the others, or maybe I don't trust people, or at least those who try to bring harm to us. But, like it or not, I was forced to let them join our cause. They had the knowledge and experience that would quickly prove invaluable, and their schemes and ideas were second to none, I had to admit.

I tried to grow closer to Lenneth, but once we realized what we were really up against, there just didn't seem to be a point… The only thing I could do was sit in my room and think about things, trying not to include that which should have been occupying my mind the most. We had barely scraped by a battle against one of those "legendary machines"; how would we do against the other five? I began to wish for the company of Lenneth, but since I was so overcome with random thought, I couldn't even leave my room…

Butch and Cassidy knew the whereabouts of the other five Machines, the ones that Team Rocket had unearthed in a last-ditch effort to control the entire world and erase any rebellious action. We had stumbled across the Water monster by accident, but with our new allies' help, we were able to plan our attack very precisely. When I asked how they knew about it and Jessie and James did not, Butch and Cassidy informed us that they had not only eavesdropped on the death of their boss, but the information concerning the machines as well. They had been spread out in a seemingly-random manner, but the truth behind it was that the five remaining machines were in areas of the world where their elemental strength would be most prominent, such as the cold ice world for the Sea-serpent.

Once we were ready, we took a course towards Cinnibar Island, where it was said that the Fire machine, a demonic creature resembling an Ifrit, had been placed. The Team Rocket base on Cinnibar was loosely guarded, but when we arrived on the scene, the very fires of the underworld erupted out, and the Ifrit came with them. We might have been destroyed were it not for the help of Butch and Cassidy, and as it stood, we all unleashed every single Water and Ice Pokemon we had, with Misty in the lead. The battle was a terrible one, and even with our "advantage" it seemed grim, but we pulled out safely and with another base captured.

Once Team Rocket learned that we had taken over the base and destroyed the Fire monster, things really got intense. Captain Thatcher decided to let things cool down for a while, literally and figuratively, and flew us towards a beach where we all took three days' worth of vacation time. I spent every last waking moment with Lenneth, and for the first time since I can remember, I never bothered even looking at another girl, unless it was for friendly or business purposes. I think… at long last… I had found a girl to love me…

*~*~*

I was happy for Brock as I saw him spend so much time with Lenneth. I normally got tired of all his mindless flirting, and the way he would be so easily manipulated by any pretty girl he saw. But Lenneth was different, and in the best way, too. She was a gentle, sweet, warm, loving girl, who served with a selfless heart and cheered up our darkest moments. There was a flicker of mystery within her that I just couldn't place--something about her, whether it was her silvery hair or her weird ability to "sense" something going on… it was as if she was different from us--from all of us. But we all liked her, no matter who she was--especially Brock!

I was stuck with my own predicament while we rested on that beach. I had never really thought of Ash as more than a friend, and at the worst he was like an annoying little brother, but he seemed to really be getting the hang of this "maturity" thing. I mean, we were all young, and we were all growing up into adults, but… I really noticed a difference. Ash was never very outstanding outside of a Pokemon battle, but during the fight against that Fire machine in Cinnibar, he really proved himself. Even Gary was impressed.

Ah, Gary… It doesn't take a smart person to figure out he has a crush on me. I've known it for awhile, and not just because he said he was in love with me (that was a spur of the moment thing). He looks at me differently than other girls, like he understands me and appreciates me for what I really am. I have to admit that it feels really good to be the object of somebody's admiration. Now, if only Ash had those sorts of feelings, then maybe I could have people fighting over me…

AAHH! Who am I kidding?! What am I saying?! Ash having a crush on me?! I needed to get real here! I totally don't see him in that way--not now, not ever in the past, and probably not ever in the future!! I mean, sure he's grown up, but he's still a brat! …Oh, never mind. I didn't need to think about it at the moment. I just needed to rest and relax. My body was so sore from all the fighting that I nearly fell apart, like Frankenstein's monster or something!

I guess… the other girls and I got along pretty well. We ended up spending at least a few good hours together, talking about most anything that came up and trying to avoid our bleak situation. Nurse Joyleen and Officer Jennifer were very different from their other cousins, and not just by appearance or name. They had both known Captain Thatcher for a long time, and respected him deeply--too deeply if you asked me! I think they both had a crush on him at one time, but I guess I can't blame them. Underneath that wild outer shell is just a big softie.

Jessie and I grew especially close, which isn't really surprising considering our personalities are very similar. Lenneth is completely unlike any of us, so calm and passive, and as patient as a turtle. The rest of us (Jennifer and Joyleen excluded) are all wild, loud, cranky, bossy, impatient, sometimes selfish women, who could pass as Prima Donnas in an instant, but not Lenneth. I was really surprised how close Jessie and I had gotten in such a short period of time. It feels like ages since we were enemies, though it really wasn't that long ago. Cassidy's another story, but I'm willing to live and let live.

Our vacation was short-lived, and even three days ended too quickly for my liking. We were all rounded up back on the Dreadnaught again, sailing off towards the next area of the world in hopes of another victory. We all assumed that Team Rocket had calmed down during the holiday, and that since there hadn't been any activity from our part, we could slip in and cause a scene without much of a hassle. Boy, if there was ever a case for us being totally duped by our own shortsighted assumptions…

They struck fast and hard while we were unawares. The Dreadnaught was heavily damaged and even some of the crew were wounded. We had to plow through several dogfights in order just to breathe, and sometimes we were forced to land in order to carry out our battles. Rocket had deployed tanks and anti-aircraft guns to shoot us down, and the only way through those walls was to land and fight them on foot--and we had yet to come close to the next town!!

Finally we arrived in Viridian, the place where the Earth machine had been placed, but we found nothing there except for empty buildings. It was as if the entire population had suddenly vanished, and even though we all knew this wasn't the case, we stayed on our guard. The lone Team Rocket base in Viridian, once the gym of Giovanni himself, was all that really stood in our way. It too was empty.

Lenneth began to have terrible feelings about the place, not that nobody else was sensing anything unusual. Her mysterious ability to "feel" things going on was haunting her in a bad way, but Brock was there to comfort her and straighten out her thoughts. Slowly, she looked around the entire gym, and pointed to an area that looked to have been recently dug through. A secret chamber led to a deeper part of the gym, one that was vibrating with such evil that only Captain Thatcher was brave enough to lead us through.

There was a long series of caves underneath, some of which led to the main Base, or so Butch and Cassidy said. They had been sealed off ages ago, though, which was bad news for us, since a shortcut to the base would've been invaluable. We kept going on, expecting to find something terrible waiting for us around the next corner. We had no idea how right we were…

Standing before us, laying buried in the ground, was the Earth machine that Butch and Cassidy had told us about! It rumbled to life and came towards us, nearly collapsing the entire cave around it as it charged. It was a mighty Golem--not the Pokemon, but a real live actual Golem, a machine made out of the very earth! It must have felt right at home in that long cavern, but we weren't about to stick around to make sure.

Once again, we released all our water Pokemon on the monster and began to blast away. Since there was little room in the cave, neither we nor the Golem could move around, but that proved to be our advantage. Since it had been almost pinned up against the cavern wall to begin with, we could easily pin it again with our Pokemon. It quickly became trapped and outnumbered, and was soon completely destroyed. We all took a big sigh of relief once the machine was destroyed, but we weren't safe yet.

The Golem's defeat activated a fail-safe in the cavern, and the moment we began to rest, the entire corridor rumbled like an earthquake was in the area! Rocks began to tumble down, and soon the entire underground was collapsing on us! We ran for the exit as fast as we could, but it was to no avail: the entire cave was crashing down on us, and before we could get very far, our path was blocked. We didn't have time to formulate a way out, however: the ceiling crashed down on us, burying us all beneath a blanket of stone.

During that frightening time, feeling the weight of the entire Earth on my back, I wept bitterly and wished that I had been kinder to Ash. I was all alone, though, without even a hand to grasp as the slow end suffocated us all…

But then, to the surprise of everyone there, a miracle happened…

*~*~*

A powerful force was lifting us all from out of the rocks. It was like a bomb was going off, but nobody got hurt. The ground around us suddenly blasted away like some invisible hand had swept it aside, and when we could all see and breathe again, we saw that it had been Lenneth who saved us!! A silvery-blue glow was surrounding her like a shield, keeping her and everything else around her free from harm. It had been that shield that blew away the rocks--but it was more than rocks that were blown away.

Of course, nobody believed that it was happening, not even Captain Thatcher. He gawked at her as if he had been told the seas of the world had all dried up, and everyone else stared in amazement as well, especially Brock. He couldn't decide whether to be excited, scared, shocked, or relieved, so he just did all four of them and ended up making no sense at all. Lenneth was off in another world, her eyes closed, the long braid of her silvery hair flapping gently, and her feet barely hovering above the ground. She descended after a while, took a big breath, and smiled as if it had been nothing at all.

But to make a very long story short, we got out of the cavern before any more landslides decided to smother us. The sun was beautiful and blinding, a gorgeous greeting that said "Welcome back, everyone! I'm so glad you're all right! You deserve another vacation!" Of course, we didn't get one. Nope--Captain Thatcher was already forcing us on the ship, his adrenaline and momentum pumping on overtime as he guided us towards our fourth consecutive battle against the legendary machines. As tired as we all were, I had to admit that he sure didn't give up easily!

We went to Celadon next, to fight the Grass machine. I had to give a bit of credit to Butch and Cassidy, as they single-handedly helped us through some of the hardest battles any of us have ever faced. They really seemed genuine when they told us they wanted to overthrow Team Rocket, and when they put action behind their words, I guess it was final. They were serious, and so even though it looked like nobody else trusted them yet, I wanted to. And so, while we were going towards Celadon, I went over to them and tried to be friendly.

We ended up talking the whole way through. It turned out that they were a whole lot like James and Jessie, except much more effective and not quite as gray when it came to being good or bad. They still treated me like an enemy, but I could tell that they were really trying to adjust to their new "life". They sure didn't like the idea that they were betraying Team Rocket, no matter what form it took, but their motive justified it. I understood that they loved their company and worked as hard as they could for it, and even though we had been enemies many times before, they were still among the proudest and most loyal members, and that made them good in my eyes.

When I told them that, they smiled, and it wasn't in a bad way. I think I was the first one who really tried to be friends with them, aside from James or Jessie. There was a definite connection, and it almost felt like we were going after the Legendary Pokemon Master all over again! We sure could've used his help, I can say that much!!

When we arrived, we could see that most of the countryside surrounding the main city had been destroyed by the monster, with trees overturned, rocks tossed, the ground dotted with holes--just a big mess everywhere you looked! We could see a few stray trainers were trying to stop it, but since they used Grass and Bug Pokemon, they really weren't doing any good. Quickly, I chose Charizard and Brock chose Vulpix, and we both led the charge with everyone following after us.

The Grass machine resembled a tree from the darkest nightmares, a living creature that commanded the wood and the leaves, perfect for the setting as always. But Brock and I weren't about to go down, and we blasted at the creature with all our firepower (so to speak). Butch and Cassidy chipped in as well with a Growlithe and a Rapidash each, and soon the monster was covered with flames. After a brief but exhausting battle, we were finally able to topple the fourth monster, and were rewarded by the cheers of the people of Celadon town.

Of course, we didn't stay there for very long. The Captain allowed us to have a day's rest to recuperate from our battle, then it was off to the next city! Nobody ever said that this was going to be an easy fight, but I'm sure we can handle whatever is thrown at us. We would even get a chance to test that in the very next land, the wilderness of Fuchsia…

To be continued…


	12. The Demon's Darkness

Part Twelve: The Demon's Darkness

Even from afar, the crew of the _Euphrates_ could tell that there was something amiss in the land of Fuchsia. An unusual cloud of darkness covered the entire territory, even though the sun was up and high in the sky. It was hard to see anything below, because even the land itself had been covered by the strange darkness. Ash gawked at the sight of it; Butch and Cassidy attested the situation to the arrival of the Dark-elemental machine, a Ghost-type that resembled a fierce demon.

"It's one of the strongest machines of the bunch," warned Cassidy as the Dreadnaught landed. "We should beware of it. It's already cast its influence over the entire area, so there's no telling what else it can do."

"So is this fight going to be harder?" asked Misty. The older redhead affirmed the question.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. And we still have one more after that, the strongest out of all of them."

"Which one is that?"

"The Light-elemental machine," muttered Butch warily. "A Psychic-type creature resembling an angel. I don't even want to know what _it's_ done to the land. We'll have enough problems here." Brock agreed but tried to add a ray of hope.

"Fuchsia city is guarded by Koga's ninjas, but since they're used to being in the dark, I think they must've gotten everyone to safety. I'm sure they did. I hope they did." Everyone kept their silence as the ship passed into the murky air and landed on the surface, diving into the thick fog of darkness. It was nearly impossible to see, and it felt cold and foreboding, like a cemetery. Thatcher tossed everyone a flashlight as he and everyone else came out of the safety of the ship.

"Be careful, mateys," he warned them. "Ain't no tellin' what sorta abomination's out there." Gary scoffed.

"Thanks for the warning, but I think I can take care of myself! I don't know about the rest of these people, though!"

"HEY!"

"This is no time to be fighting!" said Officer Jennifer sternly. "Now come on! Be quiet and help everyone look for that machine!" Ash grumbled but obeyed the older woman, and carefully searched the haunting landscape for a monstrous creature, definitely not something he would've normally done. He thought himself crazy for actually _wanting_ to lurk around a place like that, in search of a being that was ten times more frightening and dangerous than anything else he had seen.

Fuchsia City, especially, was a labyrinth of inky confusion, resembling a long-ruined civilization more than a town that had been populated by people not too long ago. Brock hoped that his theory was true; he couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hang out in such a place. The sky was as dark as obsidian, and haunting shadows danced around every corner and inside every building, watching and laughing softly.

It reminded a few of them of Zero City, the metropolis from the distant future that had arrived through a wormhole in time--except, of course, there were no other living beings around, and the group that was exploring the empty, black city was larger. It was still a frightening experience to walk through the entire town in almost complete darkness, especially since everyone knew that there was something much more sinister lurking within.

James and Jessie, almost too petrified to move, carefully stepped through the city, their groaning and shivering not helping the situation at all. They clutched onto each other in fright; Butch and Cassidy sneered at their cowardice. It was not the darkness they needed to fear, but the beast that lurked within, stalking them behind the shadows and watching with cold, dead, merciless eyes. James shrieked as a gust of sudden wind blew at his back, and Jessie let out a yelp as she felt a cold hand touch her shoulder.

"EEP!!"

"Aah, relax! It's just me, Lenneth! Are you two okay?" The loveable duo sighed in relief, their lives having been shortened by the experience.

"No… Actually, we're not…"

"I almost wish that monster was here already so we could get this over with!" wailed James. The misty darkness around them suddenly shifted, and almost as if fate had a twisted sense of humor, a creature emerged from the black shadows, the only light coming from two semi-circular eyes that glowed red. Jessie and James screamed out loud as they saw the figure, clinging onto each other for dear life as they froze in terror.

"It's the monster!" shouted Thatcher. The brave Captain quickly threw a large light on the beast, forcing it to fly away. He swore and searched for it again, but its speed was too great for the heavy light to follow. "Blast! That sucker's a quick one! Hey, see if any of you can't find him!" The others quickly joined in the search, and Misty screamed as she spotted the demonic-looking machine rush towards them. Thatcher turned the light on it as quickly as he could, but it scattered again and became lost in the dark town.

"Blast! Where'd it go now?"

"Captain, we've got it!" Butch and Cassidy waved their lights in the monster's eyes, blinding it as they ran towards the machine bravely with their Pokemon ready for battle. Ever resourceful, they each brought out an Alakazam and ordered it to unleash its strongest psychic wave upon the beast. The machine was knocked back as the preemptive blast shocked its sensors, and flew away again to start its offensive.

"It's in the air again!" shouted Cassidy. "Scramble!! We'll try to find it and draw its fire! When you see it, hit it with everything you've got!" She quickly jumped over a fence in her way as she desperately raced to keep up with the Demon, her breath and pulse throbbing rapidly and her face set in a snarl of concentration.

James and Jessie, not wanting to appear useless, waved their lights in the air and searched for the monster. A sudden blast erupted from behind them, knocking them forward and against a house they had not noticed. A second blast destroyed the house, sending shards of wood and glass spewing out everywhere. Flames erupted as a third and fourth blast impacted on the ground, barely missing the two panicking people as the flying menace shot at them from above. Ash had Pikachu firing its thunderbolts up in the air every time another blast came down, but the creature was far too fast and swerved away from every attack.

Officer Jennifer, meanwhile, helped Nurse Joyleen and Captain Thatcher haul out a gigantic search light, which had been kept in the ship for special emergencies. Once it was on the ground and hooked up, Jennifer stayed behind and operated the machine, keeping close tabs on the monster as it flew. Joyleen began to haul several smaller lamps out of the ship, and placed them in key locations so that in time, the monster would be trapped in a cloud of light and would no longer be able to hide.

"It's working!" shouted Gary. He quickly summoned a Charizard, which flew up and battled the Demon right in the air, claws versus claws and ferocity against ferocity. The Demon wrestled with the powerful dragon with all its strength, wounding it severely with a ghastly power. It caught Charizard in its arms and crushed the dragon, emitting a roar that was even louder than the creature's screaming howl. A blast from behind forced it to drop the dragon, and a bolt of lightning crashed into it as it was still reeling.

"Ash???" Gary gawked at his unlikely savior, who was so focused in destroying the demon that he didn't even look back. He saw that there was no child there standing up against a powerful monster, but a young man who was very proficient in Pokemon tactics, and who kept his senses even in the most difficult battles. Gary slowly began to understand his rival a little bit in that short time, just a bit.

Quickly, the demon broke free of the electrical charge and launched a powerful wave of destruction on the surface, blasting away blindly at anything that moved. The group below scattered, shielding themselves from the scorching shots and the erupting debris that followed them. It was chaos below, caused by a monster above, an unstoppable force of raw power and cruelty. It quickly dove down and flattened one of the searchlights with a stomp, then blasted at four others while still on the surface. It was not just a brainless drone; the Demonic creature _knew_ how to fight.

Angry but still in control, Butch and Cassidy ordered their Pokemon to fire again. The Demon monster wheeled around and just barely leaped out of the way of the blast, dodging by a hair. Enraged, it flew off towards its attackers, who desperately cried out for their Pokemon the fire. The machine was unflinching in the storm of psychic waves, and with a mighty boom, it smashed the two Alakazam and blasted the two former Rockets to the ground.

With one slap, it knocked James away as he ran to help, and with another, it completely destroyed a nearby house, sending it crashing towards the flattened young man. He screamed in terror, but was saved by Brock's Onyx before he could be buried. Poor James wailed out a thanks, but screamed yet again as he was tossed aside. The Onyx collided into the Demon, ramming it with a powerful blow and sending it reeling backwards. The Demon quickly latched its claws around Onyx's head, and used a terrific seismic toss to send it flying away.

"This is nuts!" shouted Brock. "We've never had this much trouble before! AAHH!!!! James!!!" Temporarily having forgotten about the plight of his friend, Brock ran through the black city in search of the young man, who had been thrown onto a roof of one of the houses. He was okay, though overwhelmed from the trip.

"Better look out, kid!!!!" screamed Thatcher suddenly. Brock froze in horror as he saw a ball of the demon's energy sailing towards him, but could do nothing except brace himself. Suddenly, before he could be turned into a charred boy, Brock was saved by a surprise jolt from Psyduck, whose headache had inflated to a severe degree in the fight.

"Oh, wow!" he gushed. "Psyduck! You saved me! Misty, Psyduck saved my life!"

"He does come in handy every now and then!" smiled Misty, giving "her" Pokemon a rare hug. Psyduck merely quacked.

Elsewhere, Jennifer and Joyleen were running through the town, trying to assess the damage and pick up any wounded. They found Gary lying on the floor, grunting in pain as he tried to pull himself from one oh the collapsed houses that the Demon had knocked over. Reacting quickly, the Officer and the Nurse combined their strength and gradually lifted part of the house up, just enough for Gary to scoot out under.

"Thanks!" he wheezed, his face covered in fearful perspiration. "I owe you two one!"

"Let's get you back to the ship!" said Joyleen, and she and Jennifer hoisted the wounded young man to the ship. Gary wiggled in protest, and finally wrenched his way out of their grasp. He grimaced horribly as his wounded leg screamed out at him, so he leaned up against a railing as he looked back at the battle scene.

"No…… I can still fight. I may be injured, by my Pokemon are just fine! Hey, where's Jolteon and Growlithe?" Two howling yips came out of nowhere, one from each of the Pokemon, and Gary smiled with relief. "Good, they're still there. Jolteon, Growlithe! Blast that creature to kingdom come! And why don't you give us a few lights while you're at it?" The two Pokemon obeyed, and a resulting blast of lightning and fire shot out of the darkness and struck the flying Demon. A few fires began to burn here and there, slowly lighting the town back up and eliminating the darkness.

"That won't do any good!" said Jennifer as she joined the young man. "That demon will still try and put those fires out! The only way to extinguish this cloud is to destroy that machine!"

"And do you have any ideas?" he asked of her. She nodded her head.

"Yes! Venusaur, I choose you!" A Venusaur emerged from Jennifer's Pokeball, ready to work at her bidding. "Venusaur! Solar Rays!!!" The large plant-creature roared and shot out a ray of blinding light, sending the darkness shattering as a pillar of bright illumination split the dark heavens. The Demon screamed as its cloud was destroyed, but even this was put to shame when a yell of unimaginable torture came from the very core of the machine as the Solar Ray struck it. Jennifer clenched her fist victoriously, and shouted for everyone else to help.

"Now, everyone! Concentrate your firepower on that monster!" Quickly, the entire cast of Pokemon shot, shocked, blasted, fired, burned, and pummeled the Demon as it hovered in the air, defenseless against the blinding light and the dozens of attacks. It let out a final guttural groan before crumbling to the ground in defeat. A cloud of dust erupted from where it landed, and for awhile, all was silent.

When the dust settled, the crew of twelve slowly stood in anticipation for the lights to return. The sky and earth were still dark even in the midst of all the silence, so nobody was really sure if they were successful. But gradually, a dim light came back to the world, and then another, and then another, until the sky was being filled with them, like stars coming out at night. Eventually, the clouds of ink were swept away, and strong beams of light poured back in, blinding everyone at first. It was a welcome light, a warm feeling of rejuvenation and purity, and it cleansed the world free from all obscurity.

In time, all remnants of the Demon's darkness had been removed, and the light of day came back to Fuchsia city once again. Now that the town was visible again, everyone could see just how much it had been ruined. Houses had been torn apart and smashed in, the grass was burned and blasted, its streets were cracked and ruined, and many buildings looked like they were ready to join the ruination. But even then, it felt like a proud victory had just been won by everybody.

"Ah… what a sight!" sighed Ash in wonder. After slowly scanning over the entire city, he noticed that Gary had been wounded in the battle, and actually rushed over to help. Misty, Brock, and Lenneth smiled at each other, and all four of the former members of Team Rocket gave each other a congratulatory nod. Captain Thatcher laughed out loud, and burst into an old sea shanty that he had been saving for that moment.

__

O hail ere the morning, it comes o'er yonder,

It sings a glorious song of beauty and wonder,

I roam the world, looking for its golden shine

And when I find it ere, I claim it as mine!

O the morning, o the morning, what a beautiful sight to see!

O the morning, o the morning, rejuvenating me!

Its golden fingers caress a face so weary

It comfort broken hearts and dries the faces teary

O beautiful morning, shining over the sea

Bringing light to the blinded and wonder to me!!

"What a guy," smiled Jessie. "He may be a barbarian sometimes, but you just can't hate him. You could certainly learn a lot from him, James."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Jessie smiled, clasping her hands as she sighed dreamily, her eyes brimming with awe.

"Oh… nothing. It's just that… well… when you look at the old scoundrel, you just know that he's a real man!"

"And I'm not?" he pointed. Jessie's admiration quickly turned to disbelief.

"To put it bluntly, no."

"WHAT?? Jessie!"

"She's got ya there, Jimmy!" taunted Butch. James growled at his archrival.

"You stay out of this, Barry!"

"Butch!!"

"I _said_ that! I said your name! It _is_ Bernstein, isn't it?"

"No, Butch!!! You're not even close!!"

"Futch?"

"No, Butch!"

"Botch?"

"Augh! Wrong!!!"

"Brelman? Breinholdt? Brice? Baxter?"

"No, no, no!!!" A pause.

"……Susan?"

"Now you're just doing it on purpose!!!" James shirked away with a mischievous chuckle, and both Jessie and Cassidy laughed at him. They stopped briefly as they both realized they were laughing at the same time and scowled at each other, but even this enmity didn't last. It was replaced with a smile.

"Ahh, that's our boys…"

"Always causing trouble…"

"Or perhaps… double!" Jessie and Cassidy laughed again; poor James, meanwhile, was completely lost. The lighthearted moment did not last very long, however, as another figure emerged from the recently-brightened city. Coming through the remains of a house that still stood was a tall womanly figure, standing out amidst the ruin with a snowy-white cloak over her body, a blue fighting suit underneath, and a shimmering head of cascading blonde hair. She had icy-blue eyes, a scar running across her face, and a scowl curling on her lip.

"I don't believe what I'm seeing," she snarled bitterly. "Frankly, I'm shocked. I never expected that it would be _you all_ who were involved in this rebellion! We had thought you dead, back in that cesspool of a city!"

It was Marion.

"It's you!" Ash nearly screamed in surprise as he bolted upright, clenching both fists as the woman slowly walked towards their group. Misty and Brock gasped in surprise and stood with their friend, Jessie and James gawked in horror, and Butch and Cassidy growled like cornered dogs as their former superior officer and boss approached them. She looked over at them first, giving them a smile that would frighten a lion away.

"Well, well… Agents Butch and Cassidy! I never thought that you two would betray Team Rocket! What made you want to join this team of losers?"

"You killed the man whom we respected and admired!" snarled the younger woman. "You had him murdered! It's _you_ who betrayed Team Rocket, not us!"

"It is for his honor and glory that we fight to reclaim the throne that you stole!" added Butch bitterly. "How dare you call yourselves members of Team Rocket?! You're not fit to clean the bathrooms, let alone run the whole organization!" Marion kept her grin, ignoring their remarks coolly. She tossed her head back and let out a piercing laughter, shaking the white cloak around her and making a few people nervous. She was more devil than human, that woman.

"That was a beautiful but pathetic speech!" she sang. "A speech made by two fools! But what can I expect: the fools who follow a fool are even worse! Your beloved boss was a shortsighted man whose goal was so miniscule and insignificant that he would never have advanced anywhere were it not for us! His was the simple, mere desire to monopolize the Pokemon of the world, and to have all say over them. Why, he even sold himself shorter when he sent our predecessors out on those missions! He 'only' wanted Pikachu, or this one rare Pokemon, or a certain special kind. Bah! What a waste!!

"But us… Morrison and myself… Our goal was much broader, much more intricate, much more ambitious and pure! We didn't seek Pokemon, as good of a revenue that was! No! It was always our goal to have total dominion over the entire world! His was a world at war, constantly disorganized and always in a continual state of anarchy and chaos, without a single leader to guide the stupid sheep! Do you understand?? We _had_ to kill him! A man that does not even realize the potential that's right in front of him is far too foolish to stain this world! He had to be eliminated!

"Our reign of power went unquestioned and unchallenged. We had to enforce fear and power as examples of those who wished to keep the confusion of the old ways alive, but I think we pulled off our coup successfully--that is, until this sorry band of rebels interfered!! What makes you think that this world of cold and strict order that we've constructed will ever really accept your hypocritical ideas of 'freedom', which I _know_ you believe you are fighting for??!!"

"What you have done is wrong," stated James clearly. "You have killed people. You have kidnapped Pokemon, and spread terror across the world. You have forced people to subjugate into an autonomous lifestyle, where their only will is your will, and where they live in constant terror of being destroyed. What sort of a world is that? You are simply nothing more than puppeteers, commanding the people of the world on your sick, twisted little strings!"

"You would say that!" countered Marion with a snap. "But we have brought order, have we not? There is truly no more chaos to be said of this world, except that which was caused by dissents, and we, as all exterminators must do when faced with a pest, eliminated them. Yes, people live in fear, but it is a clean and organized fear that keeps them from entering into rebellion. The days of lawlessness are over; it is time for you to accept this fate!"

"You really are full of yourself!" shouted Jessie angrily. "Do you call enslaving people to your will and exercising force and terrorism an example of peace? You really are stupid, you know! The world was never in such a disarray before, not even during the last great war! People are rebelling _because_ there is no peace, no personal freedom--only a dictatorship where free thought is punished, where questions are beaten, and where two people command the thoughts and lives of millions! You are an abomination!!!"

Silence.

"Sometimes, the progress of the world cannot be coddled or asked nicely to move forward," replied Marion, her face dangerously calm and her voice matching. "Sometimes, it takes a willing individual the strength and the knowledge to _force_ it along, sometimes violently. This world has progressed from confusion, and from not realizing what it can truly do, and from far too many meddlesome forms of government, and it has united into one. I realize our methods may seem violent, but sometimes blood is better for washing than water."

"People will still want diversity long after you and your ideals have been rejected," stated Captain Thatcher. "You cannot suppress a person's inner desire to be free. A caged bird will fight to release itself; an animal in captivity will want to return to the open fields; a man in a cell will pray for freedom. You don't have the strength to keep the fire of hope down--not you, nor those robots, nor any power under the sun, or any sun of any world. You can't do it."

"I think it's time I finally prove to you what I can do," she snarled. Marion stood in a fighting pose, retracting the claws from the tips of her fighting gauntlets, and donning the look of a devilish killer. The crew watched her transform in awe, and stomachs knotted up as a second fight seemed inevitable. Many were still exhausted from the previous battle; Marion seemed like she could fight a hundred people and never get tired.

"Well, bring it on!" shouted James. Everyone suddenly stared at him as if he had suddenly gone insane--again--but there was no madness in James' eyes. He was _determined_ not to be beaten. "We can take you! We outnumber you! And we've gotten a lot stronger since our last encounter!"

"Spare me," moaned the blonde. "What could you possibly do? You are a failure, and you'll always be a failure!"

"Not anymore!!" he replied boldly. He gave Jessie a smile, and she joined him in the stand against their most powerful enemy ever. "I think it's time you felt the TRUE power of the unstoppable duo of Jessie and James! And just in time, too! I just now remembered out motto!!"

"You did?" questioned his partner. "But James, what good will that do?"

"You'll see!" he smiled, his face glowing with pride. Jessie smiled back, and gave Marion a challenging glare.

"Ah, yes! Our motto! We can't just enter into the battle of our lives without declaring it first! So, little miss Marion! You had better prepare for trouble!!!"

"And while you're at it, make it double!" exclaimed James. The two former Rockets stood up proudly against their enemy, and belted out their beloved motto with pride and heart, more so than any other time they had ever said it.

"This is our mission statement, our solemn oath of devotion!"

"We are protectors of the world, and swear to set peace in motion!"

"SO LISTEN UP! HERE IT IS!!!"

"To protect this world from devastation!!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!!"

"MY NAME IS JESSIE!!!"

"MY NAME IS JAMES!!!"

"No longer with Team Rocket, but still blasting off at the speed of light!!"

"So you'd better surrender to us now, or else prepare for a fight!!"

"Meowth, that's right!!!" A pause.

"Ash, what in the world are you doing?" asked a puzzled James. Ash froze and smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, well, um, you know… There was a void, and… uh… I wanted to fill it." James smiled lovingly, and teared up at Ash's display.

"Ahh! You're such a good friend!!!"

"Uhh, excuse me…" Everyone glanced over at the bemused Marion, who looked about as impatient and irritated as anyone could get. _Are these really the people who have been stopping us so far?_ she had to wonder. _They're a bunch of buffoons!_

"Oh, right!" Everyone braced themselves, fueled by the power of James' and Jessie's declaration, and stood to defend themselves against their merciless enemy. She puffed out an angry breath, and stood ready to attack them once again, unfazed by their speech.

"Well… it's been a fun run," she growled, "but now it must come to an end. This time, I will make sure that each of you _dies_!" With that, the woman tore off after the group, her claws shredding the very heavens apart and her feet blasting the dirt into smithereens as she galloped towards them like a horse from Hell.

Nothing that any of them could do was able to withstand the fury of the enraged fighter. It felt as if a tornado had suddenly been freed from a cage and was allowed to exercise destructive rights upon an unsuspecting world. The woman mercilessly plowed through the meager opposition, slashing at everyone with deadly claws and holding no mercy back in her assault. She ripped, shredded, clawed, and nearly mutilated everyone in her mad quest, dealing long, jagged, gashing scars on their bodies and spurting out trickles of red goo everywhere.

The woman roared, slamming her powerful body into the nearly-helpless group with an unseen power; a force that was unstoppable and wild, like a stampede of insane animals starving for meat. The woman relentlessly beat everyone she came in contact with, shredding clothes and skin, flesh and muscle, hair and body alike, until they had been sent to the floor in defeat, slashed apart like wrapping paper on Christmas. There was nobody that stood up to her, not anybody; they had all been beaten severely in that single lightning thrust.

Slowly, hissing out loud from his library of injuries, Ash stood up first and croaked for Pikachu to fire. A bolt of lightning leaped after Marion, but the woman quickly sped to the side, jumping away from the blast and many others after it, laughing cruelly. She gave Pikachu a kick before he could shoot off another spark, sending the little rodent flying far away with a scream. Ash cried out for his friend, and glared back at Marion in fear and loathing. She gave him a cruel smile, and then a powerful slap in the face, dragging the tip of her claws over his cheeks and nose.

She suddenly felt somebody ramming their foot into her back in a vain effort to topple her. She rammed her elbow behind her, smacking the attacker before they could even react. She turned around, seeing Jessie hunched over in pain, and slammed her elbow on the woman's exposed backside, sending her to the floor again. Suddenly, James leaped up onto her back and wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling and squeezing as hard as he could. Marion growled, clenching her teeth as she fought to keep herself from choking, and clawed at his arms until he was forced to let go. Mercilessly, she turned around and gave him a sharp kick.

A sudden blast of psychic power slammed into her exposed side, and with a snarl, she turned to see a breathless Butch barely standing up, his Alakazam defiant. The woman chuckled darkly, and waved the golden hair from her face before charging towards him. She hurled her claws upward lazily, giving him false hope that he could avoid her touch of death, then suddenly shattered his dreams and his face with a crash. Once she had slammed him against the floor, she dove down and buried her fist into his stomach, forcing him to cough up several things that he shouldn't have coughed up.

Cassidy ran in to save her partner and decked Marion good in the face. The woman fell back a little, but slowly turned her head around again, revealing a face barely bruised and looking as sadistic and cruel as ever. Cassidy gasped, and launched another punch, but Marion easily caught her fist and slowly crushed it in her grip, making the redhead scream.

__

BLAM!

A sudden wave of unexpected pain dug into her shoulder, forcing Marion to grimace wildly. She threw Cassidy away and wheeled around, sending scalding-hot knives directed towards Officer Jennifer, who had fired her gun. Jennifer remained calm even in the face of the monstrous Marion, and fired another shot. The older blonde swerved to the side quickly, and dashed in a weaving pattern to avoid any other shots. She quickly grabbed Jennifer's gun in one hand, and slammed her in the jaw with the other.

Nurse Joyleen suddenly charged in as her counterpart was being beaten, slamming a large bag of heavy medical supplies at her enemy. Marion growled and buckled under the sudden attack, and was quickly consumed as Brock, Lenneth, Misty, and Gary tackled her. They randomly beat her with all their might, but the enraged woman was far too powerful and wild to be held down for long, and shook them off with a powerful thrust.

She first aimed her rage at Joyleen, who easily fell with a single push. Brock bravely charged in to avenge the injury, but a sudden backhand from a whirling Marion stopped him in his tracks. The cold-hearted woman rammed her foot into his backside, grinding him into the ground as she clenched her teeth, her pulse pounding with an unknown anger and an animalistic fury.

A sudden wave of power blasted her away as Lenneth saved the poor boy. The silvery-haired young girl no longer appeared to be gentle or warm anymore; a look of ferocity was on her face, something even colder and more determined than Marion's, yet without the uncontrolled fury or the berserk expression. Marion struggled to stand up, but a second blast from Lenneth kept her down.

"Your sins lay heavy upon you, defiler of souls!" she shouted in a very powerful voice. "By the holy laws, you shall be obliterated!!!"

"Oh, goodness!" exclaimed Jessie, her eyes fixated on the younger girl in awe. "What just happened? Did Lenneth really do and say all that?"

"Somehow, I got the feeling that she would!" exclaimed Misty, struggling to stand. Ash joined her, not looking quite as bruised or as surprised.

"I know… it's strange. Ever since she saved us in that cave…I thought there was just something different about her! Look!" As the younger ones gasped, Lenneth approached Marion with fire in her silvery eyes, and lifted the woman with an invisible power. Marion struggled against it, snarling like a trapped animal, but Lenneth seemed to be in control.

"It shall be engraved upon your soul!" declared the young girl, holding Marion up without ever touching her. The blonde actually looked afraid as a ball of white-hot light grew around her, and as it got bigger and bigger, she began to scream. A mighty explosion erupted, sending a gust of wind screaming in every direction and their foe flying off into the distance, burned and destroyed beyond all comprehension. Just as quickly, Lenneth slumped to the ground, her body crumbling under some enormous pressure. Brock was the first to her side.

"Lenneth! Lenneth, are you okay?! Speak to me! Lenneth!!!" The young woman moaned softly, stirring gently as she was being held. Her eyes fluttered to life again, and she smiled weakly as she saw Brock's desperate look.

"Oh… Brock? What… just happened?"

"You mean you don't know?" She shook her head.

"I don't… remember anything… Not a thing…" His mouth immediately hung open in awe. Brock had just witnessed a _transformation_ of Lenneth, from the sweet woman he was growing to love into a totally different person--the kind of person who had saved them from the collapsing cave, and from a deadly machine in the Team Rocket base, and who always had a mysterious look inside her beautiful crystal eyes…

"…That's okay," he said, trying to smile. He gave her a loving hug, which she returned willingly and with much delight. Slowly, as the two of them held each other, everyone else rose to their feet, groaning and hissing in pain but otherwise looking victorious.

"W… wow," grunted Butch. "That was… really… painful. Ugh… now I know why the boss liked them so much."

"Yeah…" agreed his partner. "But… hey… she's totally blown away. Hey kid, you're not half bad! That thing you did really hit the spot! That woman is vaporized! You just saved our little campaign a few months of trouble!!" Lenneth smiled and blushed humbly as everyone praised her for her works, and as usual, Captain Thatcher summed it all up.

"Well, this does indeed call for a celebration, and one that's been too long in the making! Lenneth, you did well, but I think everyone deserves this! We never could have accomplished so much without your help!"

"Aw, it was nothing!" chuckled Ash, rubbing his head softly. Everyone joined him in laughter, but it ended abruptly as the sound of shuffling rubble could be hear. Everyone became silent and looked to see what the disturbance was. Several pieces of board, brick, and plaster were thrown away and plowed through as something forced itself through their ruins, and what came out astonished everyone. It was scarred, scorched, bleeding, and wheezing, but it still looked as dangerous and strong as ever.

"I… am not… done yet!!!"

"Oh no! It's her again!" Everyone froze in fear as Marion emerged from the debris, a look of hatred burning even stronger in her icy eyes. The woman had indeed received a lot of punishment from the last attack, but it didn't look like she was stopping anytime soon.

"It… will take more than that… to defeat me!" she swore. Her limp slowly turned into a stride, which evolved into an attack run. The shock had not worn off just yet, so she was easily able to punish those who had thought themselves so victorious. Lenneth sneered angrily at the woman, but Marion was not about to submit to the same attack.

"Oh no you don't! You suffer first!" She quickly raked her claws across poor Lenneth's body, and kicked her away into the dirt, where she skidded to an unresponsive halt. Brock limped over to her and tried to shake her awake again, but he found to his dread that there was no response.

"Lenneth? Lenneth, are you okay? Lenneth, say something!!!! …No! NO!! Please don't do this, Lenneth! Please don't die on me--NOO!!!" The poor young man, his heart wrenched from the apparent loss of the only woman he ever really and truly loved, wailed out miserably and laid prostrate over her unmoving body. Everyone else, stricken bitter from the loss, turned and glared hatefully at their enemy.

"You…! How could you be so cruel?!" demanded Ash. Shockingly, Marion laughed at him.

"It's just who I am, kid. I took great pleasure in ripping that little girl apart."

"YOU MANIAC!!!!!!" Ash screamed towards the woman in a desperate, grieving assault, but was easily slapped away. Misty cried out to him, but it was Gary who was brave (or foolish) enough to follow his example and attempt to defeat the woman. She gave him a powerful kick, knocking him into the air and onto the ground, where he rolled and remained still.

"You… you heartless fiend!" Jessie gawked at the woman, shivering in her boots at just how cold the inhuman beast was, and slowly backed away in terror. Even James, steaming with anger, dared not to fight her, leaving Marion to purr in sick pleasure.

"So is that it? Is that all you have to give me? Come on, now! I was hoping that all those speeches and all those silly experiences would give you power! Or maybe it's because you're finally realizing that you're way in over your head! I am powerful! I am strong! I am an unstoppable force, an invincible warrior, and there is no way you could _ever_ defeat me!"

"Aw, SHADDAP!!!" screamed Captain Thatcher, who had quickly gotten tired of her selfish gloating. He flew towards Marion with his own brand of rage and power, slugging her good in the cheek and smashing his large boot in her abdomen. Marion lurched backwards under the surprising power, but regained her wind quickly, giving the Captain a dark snarl.

"You have done inexcusable crimes towards my crew, and that's something I can't tolerate!" stated Thatcher furiously. "And what's more, this whole crappy idea of you using war to obtain peace is nonsense! I wonder if you even know what freedom means!! Have you ever experienced it yourself, or have you just been an oppressed slave all your life, Miss Assassin for Hire?"

"Be silent, old fool!" she snapped. "What do you know about any of that!? You're just a mindless, rotting, stinking, stupid old boatman who doesn't have the capability to steer a boat in his bathtub!!"

"Oh, I didn't hear that comin' from your mouth, devil!" snarled a very incensed Captain. "You'll pay fer insultin' me so thoughtlessly!!" The big burly barbaric brigand dashed towards Marion with an uncontrollable fury throbbing in his veins, controlling his enraged actions and guiding his body and soul into a fierce battle. Marion was overwhelmed briefly, and received quite a punishment before she gave him a fierce slash. Thatcher careened backwards in pain, his clothes torn and his adventurous face scarred, leaving Marion to stand undefeated.

"Captain!!" Jennifer and Joyleen were immediately at his side despite their wounds, and cradled him until he had the strength to sit up. Ever stubborn, he dismissed them with a wave and assured them that he was fine.

"By the briny waves, it be only a scratch, lasses! I got worse when I fell into the grotto of man-eating sharks! Now lemme be so I can finish me duty!"

"But sir, you're really injured!" insisted Joyleen. "It's a miracle she didn't hit an artery!" The Nurse's words were lost, though, and Thatcher wriggled free and stood up again, expressing his protest.

"By the faith of Poseidon, lass, I told ya I'm fine! Now… to take care of this sick animal…" Thatcher snarled at Marion, but before he could go in and fight again, the earth trembled and a fog of darkness took over the world once again as a frightening and familiar sentinel emerged from out of nowhere. Even Marion expressed surprise as she saw the halfway-destroyed Demon machine rise from the dead and fly overhead.

"There's no way!" screamed Butch. "I saw that thing get annihilated! It can't possibly be operational!"

"Just face the truth, Butch!" argued his partner. "It's alive and well! But you're right; I don't possibly know how!! Maybe we've just been underestimating their true power all this time!" Butch clenched his teeth in fear, and watched helplessly as the monster slowly descended down to their level again. Captain Thatcher, not to be outdone by the arrival, signaled his ship to perform some kind of prearranged action.

"Fire now! Fire now!" The Dreadnaught obeyed, and launched a gigantic shot at the beast, recoiling so much that the very ground shuddered. Everyone flew to the ground hastily and covered themselves as the main cannon belched out its fury, and a colossal explosion in the heavens told that it had struck its mark.

"Now why didn't you do that before!!!!!" screamed Gary. Thatcher shrugged.

"The blasted thing was movin' around too much, and besides, I couldn't hit it in the dark. It ain't like the main cannon can be used over and over!" Gary moaned in disbelief, and decided to keep silent. The Demon machine, however, was indeed destroyed, as several minor explosions were still erupting as it fell to the ground. Flames burned all around it, and a black pillar of smoke drifted out of its circuits as it plummeted towards the ground.

"Ah! Look!" yelled Ash. Everyone screamed and ran for cover as they watched the machine fell, leaving Marion confused and irked. She glowered up, and shrieked out loud as she saw that the machine was headed straight towards her!! She tried to run from it, but it was too close and falling fast, and even as she tried to leap away, the proverbial sword of Damocles fell upon her, smashing into the ground and crumbling on impact. Flames and smoke continued to shoot out of it, and the sound of groaning machine parts and shattering metal echoed across the land.

Silence.

Like pedestrians drawn towards a gruesome car crash, the team of twelve inched closer to the wreckage, wondering if their unstoppable foe had finally been eliminated. They all held their breaths, wondering and hoping but secretly doubting, as they drew closer and closer. Suddenly they stopped, as a section of the destroyed wreckage began to move.

"It can't be!" shrieked Gary. "Nobody could have survived that!!!" But before he could finish his sentence, the movement stopped, and all was silent. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Not even Marion Jane Burke…" murmured Cassidy. Silence once again dominated, but was broken by the steadfast voice of Captain Thatcher.

"Come on, everybody. Let's go. We've earned a rest."

To be continued…


	13. L'Morte d'Marion

Part Thirteen: L'Morte d'Marion

The wild celebrations promised by Captain Thatcher never took place. In their stead was a more quiet, thoughtful, serene recognition of deeds done, a sort of respectful silence for the battles won thus far and a consideration for the road ahead. The crew ate and drank, and slept long hours that they had missed since starting their campaign, and they were all encouraged to get as much rest as possible. It was only Nurse Joyleen who was denied respite, but that was because she was tending to all the injured.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

"I'm sorry," whispered poor Joyleen as she dabbed Gary's leg with a salve. "I'm trying to be as gentle as possible, but this medicine gives you quite a sting. You really should've listened to my orders instead of standing up again." Gary frowned indignantly.

"Yeah, okay. Next time we're all in danger, I'm just gonna _sit_ and do nothing." Joyleen didn't make a reply, except to stab at his wound with her salve again, drawing out a painful hiss from poor Gary. Elsewhere, the four former members of Team Rocket were in mixed spirits, some reveling over the loss of the fifth machine (and Marion with it), while others were staring quietly into the blue distance, watching leaves blow in the wind.

"Not a bad effort, if I do say so myself!" boasted James, clinking a glass of soda with Jessie's. "All things considered, I think we did pretty well today. We liberated Fuchsia, we destroyed that machine, _and_ we did away with that nasty woman!" Jessie laughed out loud as she added to the boast.

"I told her that we were an unstoppable duo, but I guess she didn't listen! Hahahahahahaha!" The two former Rockets shared a triumphant chuckle, and toasted again and again to "their" success. Butch and Cassidy, however, were lost to their celebration. They stared ahead with opaque, glassy eyes, an unfathomable thought going through their minds as they sat. James and Jessie finally noticed that their comrades were too quiet for their own good, and snapped them awake with a nudge.

"What's bothering you two?" asked the redhead. "You've been out of it ever since we set up camp. Don't tell me you actually feel sorry for that woman!!"

"No, we're both very glad that she's gone," murmured Cassidy, her voice empty and quiet. Jessie was still puzzled.

"Huh? Then why the long face?"

"This is no time for any of us to be celebrating," said Butch seriously, pointing off into the distance. Jessie and James looked over, and saw that Brock was still hunched over the unresponsive body of Lenneth, clasping her hand gently and staring at her, as if he could recover her by his own will. They immediately became grave, as if the warm spirits flowing through their bodies had turned to ice.

"Oh… I'm sorry… But where's Nurse Joyleen? Isn't she supposed to be doing something?"

"She attended to the girl first, but even with her knowledge, she was barely able to do anything," said Cassidy. "As far as I know, she's on a razor's edge. Marion really hit her hard with that last attack. I don't know if she'll pull through…"

"Don't you dare talk like that!" snapped Jessie angrily, her face nearly matching the color of her hair. "That girl saved our lives three times already, and that's all you can say about it? How dare you! What kind of an insensitive--"

"All right, I'm sorry!" snapped Cassidy. Both women's faces were flushed from all the shouting, but it was Brock who was in the most miserable condition of all. He cared for Lenneth; he truly _cared_ for her, and loved her with a strong feeling that he had never truly experienced before. She was far too sweet, loving, and kind to be taken away, especially at such a young age, and he vowed that no matter what it took, he would not allow the woman he was growing to love to be taken away.

"Lenneth… I'm here for you…" He clasped his hand over hers, folding their fingers together as gently as possible, barely feeling the weak pulse that stubbornly refused to die. As long as he could feel that slight vibration of life, Brock still had reason to hope.

"Poor Brock," moaned Misty sadly as she watched him grieve. Her own injuries were minor enough to be treated by her own experience, and a few bandages here and there (plus some nice food made by the Dreadnaught staff) were all that she needed. Ash sat with her, absorbed in watching Brock and wishing that he could help.

"Joyleen, don't you think you should take another look at her?" he suggested. The Nurse, her mouth clamped over a tiny medical bag, mumbled something indistinguishable before spitting it out.

"Mph. It won't be long. She's still surviving by a thread, but she won't be in any real danger for a while. The rest of my team is doing everything they can. It's very hard work, though."

"It's unfortunate that you can't take a break as well," noted Officer Jennifer as she helped with the recovery effort. "I don't mind, but you looked really overworked."

"I'll be okay!" smiled the aptly named Nurse. "I'm used to working longer and harder hours than this. I'm grateful for your help, though. I don't know what I would do without it!"

"I can help too!" volunteered Misty. She hopped from her chair and asked where she was needed, and even though the Nurse and the Officer said that it was okay for her to rest, she insisted on helping. Ash joined her, and soon even Butch, Cassidy, James, and Jessie were pitching in. Joyleen thanked every single one of them, and devoted her skills to healing Lenneth. When she finally arrived at the bleeding girl's side, Brock gave her a haunting, pleading look, one burning even brighter with stubborn hope.

"Joyleen, please… can't you do anything?" The Nurse gave him a reassuring smile.

"Yes, of course. I'll get to work right away. Jennifer, would you mind telling the Captain I'm bringing Lenneth inside for treatment?"

"I'm on it!" Jennifer dialed up the Captain and told him what Joyleen was going to do. Meanwhile, Brock held onto Lenneth a little tighter, giving Jolene a look that would've broken any heart.

"Please, Nurse Joyleen… please take care of her. I couldn't bear it if I lost her!"

"Don't worry, she's in good hands!" smiled the Nurse, reassuring him again. She took the bed that Lenneth had been placed on and pushed it towards the Dreadnaught, up the ramp and into the medical ward. Brock followed them all the way, like a puppy with its master.

"Poor guy…!" whispered Misty again. "He's really shaken up about all this! I really can't blame him, though. Lenneth's a really great friend."

"I don't think he's just treating Lenneth as a friend, Misty," remarked Ash slyly. She gave him a puzzled look, and he chuckled. "You didn't see? Brock's in love with Lenneth! And it's not like all those other times, where it was just a temporary fling--he's honestly in love with her!"

"Oh! Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out!" The two of them smiled at each other, and perhaps in a very subtle way, they were talking about themselves. It never occurred to them though, so they continued helping the medical staff and prayed for both Brock and Lenneth. They had a feeling that in no time at all, everything was going to be all right again.

---------------

A cloud of murky mist drifted around Fuchsia City, acting as the only remnant of the once-thriving town. Nothing moved except the wind, and not a sound could be heard except for the howling of the breeze, and long-lost ghosts of the past. Deep in the city, situated inside a self-created crater, the twisted remains of a demonic machine laid unmoving, a metallic graveyard that fit inside the city well. A little rumble shook it, sending a tiny bolt skipping down the remains and plunging to the floor, where it stayed.

A powerful thrust from within forced the debris to fly away, and another thrust sent even more machinery flying away. Push by push, shove by relentless shove, something that had been trapped inside was desperately struggling to break itself free. A claw emerged from the wreckage, raking along the ground desperately, digging itself out of its own grave little by little. A second claw joined in, and then finally, with a shout, the body that had been buried in the cemetery of metal was freed.

Marion Jane Burke stood to her full height, her breath ragged and her body nearly destroyed, but the flames of vengeance burned just as strong in her eyes, like a phoenix just woken up from death. She had survived.

Silently, the unstoppable killer studied the area around her, observing every detail of the wasted town. It was dark, probably from the cloud of dust and smog that had belched out from the blasted monster behind her, and lonely, and the warmth was stale. Her eyes shifted from left to right several times, her breath slowing and the pain growing duller and duller. A normal person would have been smashed, burned, slashed, and crushed from such an ordeal, but Marion escaped with her spirit just as strong as before.

"They must think I'm dead," she whispered to herself, noticing her solitude. She snickered cruelly, wondering what it was like for a person to really believe in her own demise. Marion took a wobbly step forward, growling hatefully at the way some of her body parts were not quite as determined as others, and forced the pain away as she continued to walk.

"The first thing I am going to do once I'm out of this stinking hamlet," she swore, "will be to finish what I started. Nobody tries to kill the Hunter of Death without making sure of it! Those rebellious little upstarts will wish that they had never defied Team Rocket. Once I'm done with them, there won't be a forensics expert in the world who could identify their mangled bodies!!"

Little by little, bit by bit, Marion limped away from Fuchsia, her body blackened and scarred but still very much alive, her stride slow but strong, her vision blurry yet in flames, her face snarling in concentration, her muscles aching yet determined to carry her forward, until she could fight once again. The woman was unstoppable, perhaps in a literal sense, and would not cease or tire until her task was done or else her body was totally annihilated.

With an endurance and a drive to move forward that defied even the strongest human spirits, Marion trudged across the countryside in an attempt to follow the trail of those who dared to challenge her. As barbaric as she could sometimes get, Marion's focus was at a supreme level, as the only thing that was on her mind was the final destruction of the rebels. She would see it done no matter what, even if she had to spill more of her own blood.

As the blonde Rocket wearily made her way through the countryside, down a long path, her breath heaving every now and then, she got the feeling that she was not alone. She had heard several bushes rustling as she walked, and forced her breath to be silent as she waited for the intruder. Standing perfectly still, her lungs aching a bit more than the rest of her body, Marion kept her senses sharp and patiently bided her time.

"Who is there?" she demanded. For a moment, no other sound came out, but just as she was beginning to think it had been a rabbit, a man popped out of the shrubs, aiming a pistol at her. Marion glowered at him, but soon two others emerged, and then more, until there were about twelve surrounding her, each with a visible weapon. The thing that angered Marion the most was that every one of them bore a Team Rocket insignia.

"What are you doing here?!" she demanded sharply. "Are you the survivors of the base attack?"

"You could say that," spoke one of them. He raised his weapon and jabbed it right at Marion, shouting, "We are the members of Team Rocket who were loyal to Giovanni and only Giovanni! His death has thrown the entire organization into turmoil, and we find it very difficult to believe that you and Morrison were so readily available to replace him!"

"Are you actually doing what I _think_ you're doing?" she snarled. "Are you accusing us of anything?"

"All I can say is that we were loyal to Giovanni, and ever since we heard of his tragic death, we have been suffering under your twisted rule. In honor of our boss, and for the glory of the true Team Rocket spirit, we have taken it upon ourselves to kill you, Marion Burke!" The other men raised their guns as well, ready to mow her down with a storm of bullets. But Marion, fearing no creation of mortals, threw her head back in a wild cackle.

"More rebels!" she laughed. "Well, I guess I'll consider this lot the appetizer to what I was going to do next! It's not polite to interrupt a lady's killing spree!!" Without hesitation, Marion sprang into action and leaped high into the air, vaulting over the circle of guns. She slammed her boots into the faces of as many agents as she could, and touched down to the ground with four others falling after her. With a chuckle, she performed a quick backflip, barely avoiding a spew of fire as she returned inside the circle of death. Her clawed gauntlets found their first victim, digging deep into their bodies and ending their lives.

She tossed the man into the thick of the others, flattening them with her superior strength. With a cackle still ringing out of her mouth, Marion whirled into a frenzy and slashed at everything in range, mutilating and clawing with the ferocity of a tiger--or perhaps a demon. Even the guns could not stand up to her maniacal charge, and many were sliced apart or slapped away as the woman continued her frenzy.

Suddenly, the heavens thundered and the skies became dark as a flock of ravens flew into the air screaming. A bullet had burrowed itself straight into her body while she was still fighting.

Marion froze, her face stunned as she felt the burning pain of the metal and shrapnel inside her body. Slowly, gradually, she forced herself to ignore the pain--but more disturbingly, she forced herself to _enjoy_ it. Eventually the pain subsided completely, and she was standing and laughing again.

"You just don't get it, do you?" she said hoarsely, amidst a crowd of petrified Rocket agents. Before they could even hear the rest of her sentence, she had thrust herself into the fight again, tearing apart her enemies like a truly unstoppable force of nature. The woman was absolutely demonic, screaming and thrashing around as if possessed, and the body count totaled well over the original dozen that had first appeared. It seemed as if they had brought friends.

A powerful clap of thunder erupted in the heavens, and Marion was thrown back as two more bullets stabbed inside her body, one in each shoulder. The woman was absolutely feral at that point, no longer seeming human--just a literal machine who only knew how to kill, and nothing else. She took a single step, still defiant, but was stopped as a final wave of "rebels" leveled their guns at her.

"For Team Rocket!!!" they shouted, before blasting at her mercilessly. A hailstorm of deadly bullets ripped apart at her body, digging deep into her flesh and bone, striking her and scarring her and filling her entire body with poisonous lead. It was a ghastly, bloody scene, and all Marion could do was stand as she was being torn apart by the guns. Eventually, the agents ran out of bullets, wherein Marion finally fell to the ground in a bloody, mutilated, destroyed heap. A sickening pillar of smoke slowly rose up from her motionless body, but even then, everyone held their breath.

"…I think we got her," said one of the men after an uncomfortable pause. He took a daring step forward, still fearing the worst, but Marion did not move. He sighed and smiled, beckoning for his friends to follow. "Hey, come on! We really did it! We got her! The boss' death has been avenged! Their reign of terror is over!"

"HOORAY!!!!!"

"Not so fast!" shouted one of the older men. "This was just one of them! We have to get the other, the one called Morrison! He's still in power!"

"Aw, don't worry! With this one gone, and with the machines all destroyed, I'd be surprised if he had any power left! We'll reclaim our beloved Team Rocket in no time!"

"Yeah!!! Hooray!!!" The men laughed and cheered as they skipped down the dirt road, but suddenly, something rose up from behind them.

"You… really are… fools…"

"No!" screamed one of them. "It _can't_ be!! It's IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!" Fearfully, the quivering men gradually turned around, their faces as white as milk as they dared to imagine the impossible. Their fear faded a bit as they saw Marion's body still there, but came back in full absolute force as her body wiggled. Like an undead corpse returning from the dead, the woman slowly rose up from her heap, spurts of blood trickling down her body and collecting in a pool below.

The men screamed as Marion rose once again, her body almost completely destroyed, but the fire in her eyes glowing even hotter than before. The woman snarled at them, breathing in long, loud, heaving gasps, her entire physical form ripped to shreds from the bullets. Yet somehow, even after suffering from countless shots, the woman was still alive, and even angrier before.

"…Don't you realize that you cannot kill me?" she asked them, her voice as dead as she should have been. The men gawked at her for a few seconds more, and as she screamed after them with her crimson-tipped claws, they would soon know no more…

---------------

After about two hours, Misty and Ash breathed out big sighs of relief, the last injured person having recently been taken care of. Nurse Joyleen, who had taken a well-deserved break, smiled empathetically at them, and offered them something to drink.

"You weren't kidding at all when you said that medicine was hard work," said Cassidy. "But… well… now that I've actually _helped_ a person instead of trying to hurt them, it feels…… pretty good." Jessie, suddenly confused by the words of her one-time friend, gave her a puzzled gaze.

"Huh? Cassie, are you _feeling_ well?"

"I'm perfectly all right," muttered the other woman. Jessie shrugged and went about relaxing from her own work. They had all chipped in an helped, but it was surprising seeing Butch and Cassidy working as well. The two almost seemed to enjoy helping Nurse Joyleen treat her patients, and certainly didn't resemble the enemies they had once been. Personally, Ash was glad that they had been given a second chance, just like Jessie and James before them. He had a feeling that they could end up as being very good people, if they kept up the hospitable act.

"So… what about Lenneth and Brock?" asked Gary, who was now lying on a bed (his leg was broken, but it wasn't a bad fracture). "Any news on them?"

"They seemed to be doing okay when I checked up on them," replied Joyleen with a smile. "Lenneth was always a fast healer, and I don't think even this will keep her down for long. Brock's still in a depression, but that's to be expected. Even Jennifer and I weren't feeling too good about the whole thing, and we keep our relationship with her on a strictly business level."

"Usually," added Jennifer with a playful smile. Gary smiled and nodded at her.

"That's good. I'm glad she's okay."

"HEY!!" screamed Jennifer suddenly, bolting up so fast that she tipped her chair over. "What's that?!"

"What? What is it?" Everyone scrambled to see what Jennifer had spied, and noticed that a severely-wounded person was slowly limping their way. Ash gasped in surprise, and quickly ran over to help with everyone else following. He skidded to a vicious halt as he saw that it had been one of their most powerful enemies who had been wounded.

"Aah! It's Marion!" Everyone gawked in surprise as they saw a heavily-bleeding Marion crawl their way, almost crumbling under the weight of her wounds. She was trailing blood as she walked, a sight that few could stand to watch.

"How in the world did she survive all that?" wondered Cassidy, too surprised to even move. Butch shook his head.

"I don't know. She can't be human…"

"We need to help her!" stated Jennifer to the surprise of everyone around her. The police officer ran towards Marion, but Butch and James barred her way. "Get out of my way! If you don't move, I'll have you arrested for obstructing an officer's duties!"

"_Duties?!_" they spat. "What kind of duty could possibly make you want to help this woman?! She's our enemy! She's tried to have us killed at least half a dozen times! And now you want to _help_ her??"

"Stop it!!" shouted the Officer firmly. "Now that's enough!!! If you don't let me help her, you'll be no better than she is! She may be our enemy, but that doesn't excuse us from just standing here and watching her die! We have to try!" Butch and James glared at Jennifer as if she had truly gone mad, and didn't part until she forced them to. Joyleen followed her, her pretty face marked heavily with scars of concern, and knelt down to help Marion up. They were both rewarded with a vicious slap.

"Get away from me!" barked the woman, her voice amazingly strong. "I don't need your help! Just leave me alone!"

"But you'll die!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" she argued, her face as enraged as ever. Marion actually had the strength and the nerve to stand up to her full height, despite the multitude of bullet wounds and other injuries that had been dealt to her. Nurse Joyleen was forced into speechlessness as the woman, who should have been dead, gazed at them calmly.

"I will die, but not by any tool of a mortal," she said. Marion grimaced suddenly, and even her power and pride faltered as she tumbled to the floor in a heap. Grunting painfully, the woman let out a soft moan, something she had never done before in her life. But even then, she refused the help of others, though her voice was now hoarse and soft.

"I… I never thought that it would all end like this," she whispered. "You see, I meant it when I said that I wanted a world of peace. I meant every word. I've been wanting to live in a peaceful world of order for as long as I can remember, but it's always been denied to me. I… I was abandoned by my own parents, and sold into slavery, where I lived with the dangers of every kind of abuse, every day of my life. I was so miserable that the only thing I could hope for was the chance to become… _stronger_!

"And so I did, and rose to become the fearsome woman that has been terrorizing you and the entire world for years--years that none of you are even aware of. I have killed more people than you could possibly imagine… the first of whom were my very own parents. I didn't even flinch as I ended their lives. I was glad, and enjoyed the new power I had gotten. But it made me sick: the entire thing made me so ill that I became green, and vomited out every last shred of humanity I had. From that moment on, every person that I was forced to kill would echo in my mind forever, their screams piling up until I was overwhelmed by the sound.

"But I never wanted any of that… All I really wanted was a life where I wouldn't have to kill in order to survive. I am not called the Death Hunter for any psychological means--it has always been my wish… to imitate Heaven itself, and to be among their most beautiful of angels… That is why, I feel, this white cloak of mine never got a single drop of blood on it, not one. Deep down inside this maniac, there was a woman who still clung to her pure ways.

"But as you can see, I've paid the price for my violent ways. Please, listen to what I have to say!!! Violence only begets violence! Hate breeds more hate! A life full of misery will one day lead to more misery, and Death smiles broadest when humans do not realize their own folly. I…… am just… its latest victim, that's all. You know… Giovanni really was right, that old fool. His last words… 'The pursuit of power only leads to destruction'… I have to wonder, though, were we really doing the right thing? Can peace ever really be attained through _peaceful_ means, or must it be fought for and killed for? I don't know, and I never will know.

"Oh, Morrison……… I wish you were here right now… In my pitiful life, you were my only friend. Perhaps… someday… we'll meet again. Hey… kid…"

"Huh? Me?" Ash timidly stepped forward, and was amazed to see that Marion was smiling. It wasn't a scowl, a sneer, a snarl, or anything belligerent, but an actual _smile_, one brimming with a strange sense of fulfillment.

"Yeah… I never got to see my wish fulfilled… but now it's up to you. Who's right, your ideals or ours? You'd better pray that yours are right, because… my dear partner… is even deadlier… than I am…" Marion became still after that, and rested her head on the path, staring blankly into the blue heavens, a smile still on her peaceful face. Ash stood there dumbly, a bit overcome from her final speech, not quite knowing what to say. Marion said it all with her final words.

"You know… I've always wondered what Death would feel like. I guess… I'm gonna find out now, heh. Heh. Hahahahahaha…" And with that last, freeing chuckle, her flame was finally blown out, and one of the greatest killers the world had ever known could finally be at peace.

__

One hour passed.

"So that's what happened…" Amazed, Brock shook his head, his heart feeling a little heavier after hearing the story from everyone's account. Even Captain Thatcher seemed speechless. "Well… I really don't know what to say. I know it sounds odd, but… I kind of feel a little bad…"

"That's just your humane sympathy talking," noted James quietly. "Inside all of us, regardless of how bad we are, there's a spark of humanity that yearns to help others, or to at least grieve for their losses. I hated her just as much as anyone, but… I admit, she certainly does have a way with words."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to know that we all took the courtesy to give her a proper burial," replied Butch, giving his archrival a gentle smile. "It's the least we could do. We may have been enemies, but… we'd never just leave a body out like that. We're… all human, in the end. The least we could do is act like it."

"True," agreed Cassidy, giving her partner a smile. Lenneth stirred briefly, moaning softly as she slept, and was still again just as quickly. Brock gave her a tender smile and touched her cheek.

"Well, what now?"

"Rest, by Poseidon; we rest!" stated Captain Thatcher, speaking at long last. "Heaven knows we need it. I don't feel it's appropriate to talk about what we're gonna do next until Lenneth's up an' running again. By that time, we'll all have recovered our injuries, inward and outward, and we'll be ready to kick some Team Rocket tail again. Okay?"

"Of course." Thatcher gave everyone a scoundrel's smile, and waddled off to his quarters as he sang a quiet sea shanty. Only Brock stayed behind once everyone left, keeping watch over Lenneth and thinking about what everyone had told him.

To be continued…


	14. Holy Retribution

Fourteen: Holy Retribution

Upon the eve of the attack on Sapphire City's base, which was guarded by the final and most powerful Elemental Machine, everyone aboard the Dreadnaught _Euphrates_ decided to spend their "final moments" of peace together with the one they loved most. Brock and Lenneth had sought solitude from the entire crew as they stepped out onto one of the many balconies available on the ship. The night sky was comfortably calm and cool, with a nice dark hue covering the world, with just enough lights from celestial bodies to see in.

For a while, Brock and Lenneth just stood on the railing, smiling and watching the night sky drift. It had not been too long ago since the silvery-haired girl recovered from her injuries, and of course, when she did, Brock was absolutely overjoyed. Strangely, the young lady didn't have any scars left over at all, or any weakness from being in bed for so long. She seemed just as sweet and strong as ever, and flattered that so many people cared so much for her, especially Brock. When she learned that he had never left her side during the entire ordeal, she couldn't help but blush.

"It's such a beautiful night out," she sighed happily, her starry eyes matching the sky. She inched closer to Brock, who smiled and gently took her hand into his.

"Yes, but nothing is as beautiful as you, dear Lenneth!"

"Oh, stop it!" she giggled. "I bet you've said that to every girl you know!"

"Uh, actually…" Brock hung his head in shame, reluctant to reveal his flirtatious past to the only woman he ever _really_ cared for. "Actually… I have…"

"So…"

"But I've changed, honest!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I've really changed, Lenneth! I could never imagine myself with any other woman except you! Really! It's like you're the round peg that fits into my round hole; it's like we were really meant for each other! I'd never want to be with any other woman again!!"

"Oh my!" she gasped, startled and flattered. "Brock, that's an awfully big thing to say! 'Never being with another woman, for as long as you live'? That's not something to say lightly!"

"But I'm serious!" he exclaimed, taking her hands into his and kneading them gently. "Lenneth… from the very moment that I first saw your angelic face… I have felt as if… as if I… _know_ you from somewhere. It's like…… we've met before, but I can't say where!"

"You have that feeling too?" she gasped. He nodded his head, and her beautiful face blossomed with wonder. "Oh, Brock… I've always felt that we knew each other once, so long ago. It may not have been in this life… and we might have been different people with different identities… but it was still _us!_ I've always felt as if we had a deep intimate connection in a past life of ours… and I could almost……"

Not finishing her sentence, Lenneth trailed off and let her breath float off into the air, becoming one with the night sky as a foreign, feint, but familiar thought was shared between the two. Brock smiled warmly, not needing to know anything else, and placed his hand on her cheek, feeling the cool touch of her smile.

"Lenneth… you're beautiful…"

"And you are very, very sweet, dear Brock…" She smiled lovingly, and gently leaned forward to find herself in his embrace. Her head, with fields of liquid-silver hair falling over his shoulders and down her back, rested comfortably against his neck. He gladly took her into his arms, feeling the soft, gentle body of the woman he loved… the woman he had _always_ loved, and had found once again, after waiting for so long…

"But where…?"

"It doesn't matter," he told her, his voice warm and comforting. "I… I only know that I love who you are now. I… always want to be with you, Lenneth, no matter who you are or where we might be. Even if… the heavens themselves separate us…"

"……The heavens…" Dimly recalling a shared past memory, Lenneth slowly looked up into his face, and knew that she loved him, as she always had and always would. Her fingers combed through his spiky hair, and then, underneath a clouded moon and gentle obsidian sky, they shared a kiss of love.

"Jessie, look! Isn't that the sweetest thing ever?" Smiling warmly, James discreetly pointed down several balconies, where he had recently spotted Brock and Lenneth sharing their very first moment of loving intimacy together. Jessie looked down, and cooed softly as she saw it.

"Yes, you're absolutely right, James. They make such a beautiful couple…"

"Agreed. Ah, it's just so wonderful!" The poor loveable fool bawled softly as he saw his two friends below sharing each other's love, and Jessie couldn't help but chuckle. Perhaps overcome by the moment, she scooted closer to her longtime partner and placed her hand over his.

"James… it's been a long road for both of us… but I'm glad I was able to walk down it with you. If it hadn't been for you… well… I never would have made it."

"You… you know that's not true, Jessie," he said, his eyes still misty. "You're such a strong and independent woman that you probably would've been better off without me."

"Nonsense!" she argued. "James, we're the ultimate embodiment of the most beautiful union of man and woman! Your strengths and my strengths combine and fill in for each other's weaknesses! Your crazy schemes and my go-getter attitude make an unstoppable force! The old Team Rocket just wouldn't have been the same without either one of us! You can't have Jessie without James--"

"And you can't have James without Jessie!" he added. Joyfully, he clasped her hands, smiling like the loveable loon he was. "Oh, Jess, you're right! You're absolutely right! We do go well together! We make such a wonderful pair!" She smiled simply and nodded her head, and then to his surprise, she drew him in for a very rare hug.

"James…"

"J-Jessie…?"

"Just keep on being yourself," she whispered softly. "You know… that James that comforted me when we were fired from Team Rocket… the James that's always showing off and making a big spectacle about everything… the James that squeals so adorably when things aren't going his way, or when he's scared--the James that has such a beautiful nobility when he's standing up for what he believes in…" She paused for a while, and joined her eyes to his as she looked deep inside of him, upon that starry night.

"Jessie… you're such a great person…"

"The feeling's mutual, Jim." The two of them smiled, and drew in for a tender hug, which inevitably evolved into the second intimate kiss of that night.

"Awww… that's so cute!"

"Yeah… I guess they do make a good couple…"

"Ash?" Ash Ketchum looked over at Misty.

"Yeah?"

"If this really was the last day that we would be together… I mean, all of us here… If this was our last night to live…"

"Hey, don't say something like that!" he stated firmly. "I know in my heart that not only will we live to see tomorrow night, but we'll also live to see the end of Team Rocket!"

"Well, yes, but… what if we--"

"We can't predict the future, so anything could happen," he shrugged. "But at least we can keep being optimistic. I mean, there's no point in worrying over something that hasn't even happened yet, is there?"

"…Ash…" Misty smiled warmly at her friend, and was amazed at just how mature he had become in the past few weeks. He had turned from a thickheaded naïve little boy into a… well, into a _less_ thickheaded, less naïve little boy. But he had definitely matured, all right--Misty could tell by the way he was talking.

"Huh? Hey, Misty, why are you looking at me like that?" Misty was still smiling at him, so she wasn't aware of the fact that she had been staring, too. She blinked in confusion and shook her head.

"Uhh, like what?"

"Aaah!! I know what you were gonna do!" he screamed suddenly, pointing a shivering finger at her. "You were gonna kiss me, weren't you?"

"What???"

"Admit it!" he shouted. "You were gonna kiss me, like Brock did to Lenneth and James did to Jessie! Aah! It's this romantic night! It's affecting everyone on the ship! Well I'm outta here! Yaaaiiieeee!!!!"

"ASH!!!" But before the poor deluded boy could listen, he was already running as fast as he could to his room, avoiding a fate worse than anything he knew. Misty's face soon turned violently red, and her voice could've been heard all the way down to where Brock and Lenneth were.

"Ashley Ketchum!! How dare you have such a disgusting thought in that empty head of yours! I would never kiss you if you were the last boy on Earth! I wouldn't even do it to save my life! I'd… I'd rather kiss Psyduck!"

"Psy-yai-yaii!!!"

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT, PSYDUCK!!!!!"

"Oh, boy," sighed Gary, who had watched the entire scene from a balcony even further above theirs. "Yup, they definitely love each other. Huh! I almost feel sorry for poor Ashy-boy! Oh well."

----------

With a mighty whoosh, the Dreadnaught _Euphrates_ tore through the sky, its passengers ready and waiting for their debut battle in Sapphire City. The final mechanical monster was waiting for them there, according to Butch and Cassidy, and it was the most powerful out of all the others. Not only was it a Light-elemental, but it was a Psychic-type machine as well, perhaps the most powerful type around. The crew of twelve had already faced hundreds of dangers on the path to saving the world, individually and as a combined unit, but the worst ones still remained.

Once the Light machine was destroyed (or _if_ it was destroyed), Team Rocket would be at a severe disadvantage and would no longer have much power, so therefore, Captain Thatcher decided that once everyone had a rest, the main base of Team Rocket would be attacked. After that, it would only be a matter of defeating their final enemy, Morrison Glidden, and declaring Team Rocket abolished forever. It was easier said than done, especially considering the odds, but even the most reluctant members of the crew were up to the challenge.

"Hold onto yer hats!" shouted Thatcher as he steered his mighty vessel. "We're almost there! I hope y'all are ready for a big brawl! This is the one that'll determine our fate from here on out!"

"Don't say such a thing, Captain!" shouted Officer Jennifer. "Even if we lose, that doesn't mean that we still can't fight!"

"Aw, what a buzz-kill," he moaned. "I try'n rile everyone up, and you gotta tug'em back down! Now they'll think that they can _lose_ and get away with it!"

"But Captain--"

"In war, only one can win," he told the officer sagely. "An' considerin' the enemy we be goin' up against next, I'd rather not lose. Anyway, we're almost there. Everyone ready to kick some tail?"

"YEAH!!!"

"Then heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we goooooooooo!!!!" Screaming at the top of his lungs, Thatcher landed the _Euphrates_ and opened the hatch, allowing eleven eager fighters and rebels to spill out like locusts on a crop. He followed last, laughing and shouting as joyfully as ever, as only he could when faced with an impossible battle.

They came upon a Sapphire City dominated not by people (as the streets were completely abandoned), but by a machination of steel and otherworldly construction that resembled a kind of angel. It had three pairs of large wings used for soaring above the city, a body faintly human that radiated blinding light, and a large pole in its hand which it liberally used to smash anything in sight. The machine's psychic powers were amazing; with a snapping gesture of its palm, it could level a building flat or cause the roads to quake and split apart. As the crew of twelve watched it wreak mindless havoc on the city, they began to understand why it was known as the strongest of the machines.

"Well, let's not just stand here!" shouted Butch. He summoned Raticate first, and everyone followed with a rain of Pokeballs. The Angel machine continued to fly and destroy, disregarding the growing threat below, until the trainers commanded their troops to fire upon it. Massive waves of energy struck first, then squadrons of powerful Pokemon slammed into it like raindrops, making small dents in its body. The machine roared out loud, sending a powerful and sudden shockwave erupting out of its own body, forcing Pokemon and human alike flying far away.

"Oh, man!" gasped Brock, barely able to brace himself. "That was a big one! Wh-what power!"

"We may be in trouble!" sang Misty dreadfully. Withstanding the blows that the machine dealt, she charged forth and called out all her water Pokemon for a single blast. The Angel was quickly but briefly deluged, getting soaked only briefly before swatting away the creatures with an energetic wave. Gary took over for Misty as she was flung away, calling Arcanine and Nidoking into the fray. A pillar of fire crashed into the machine, while Nidoking thrust a large boulder onto the machine's body, smashing it with the powerful rock. The Angel countered by swiping at it with its pole, shattering the rock and knocking the flames away.

It mercilessly dove down and shot a beam of pure light energy at the two creatures, blasting them away in a powerful explosion. Gary gawked at the carnage in frozen horror; Ash stepped in with Charizard, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle, a team that should have been unstoppable. Pikachu bravely darted towards the Light monster as well, sending a blast of electricity towards the heavenly foe. Suddenly, the Angel braced itself and erected a dense energy barrier around its body, rendering all the attacks useless.

"That attack was little more than child's play!" snapped James angrily. "How on earth can that thing keep up?"

"It's a psychic type; they have no real weaknesses," muttered Butch. "All we can do is send in any ghosts we may have, and perhaps a poison or bug to go along with it. Wearing it down is our only option for now."

"I have just the Pokemon for the job!" called Jessie, summoning Arbok. The purple snake slithered after the Angel with that same murderous look in its eyes; James' Wheezing followed suit, spitting sludge to gum up the machine's works. The Angel was briefly trapped in muck as the sludge splattered all over it, and a shower of poison stings injured the soft inner core of the mechanical monster. James and Jessie actually cheered as the Angel seemed to be weakening.

But then, it blasted the grime and needles away with a second, even more powerful blast of power. Whole buildings were leveled as the beast allowed its energy to surge outward, and all the Pokemon were flung away like they were pebbles in a storm. A dozen screams came from a dozen mouths as the shockwave sent everyone scattering; the clutter of debris created when the Sapphire City buildings were annihilated filled the air and came crashing down everywhere like the meteors of doomsday.

"This is insane!" screamed Misty, barely able to shield herself. "It can't possibly be _that_ powerful! We've got to do something!"

"May as well use our secret weapon!" shouted Cassidy. Butch, ducking behind a portion of a wall, firmly nodded his head and supported her decision; James and Jessie had no idea what their archrivals were talking about. With some reluctance, Cassidy threw out a Pokeball.

"Ditto, go! Transform into that Angel!"

"WHAT?!?!" screamed half of the former Rockets. "You mean you had a Ditto all this time and you never told us?!?!"

"What's the use of a secret weapon if everybody knows about it?!" retorted Cassidy. James and Jessie couldn't say anything in response, so they just watched as the Ditto transformed into its designated foe. For a brief time, the twelve-member party was hypnotized into watching the fight between the two Angels, not sure which one was winning or losing. The fight, violent and loud, seemed to be going both ways.

But just as soon as it began, it ended with a thrust and a blast of psychic light. One of the machines fell to the earth, turning into a Ditto again, only not able to move or respond. Cassidy screamed as she saw their secret weapon fail so rapidly.

"Oh no! Ditto! You'd better return or else!" The pink blob wearily transferred itself back into the Pokeball, leaving Cassidy more worried than before. Butch gnashed his teeth together as all their brilliant ideas seemed to be running into failure, and turned back to face the Angel machine. Partially oblivious to their presence (their only true advantage), it continued destroying the town and creating a heavenly mess.

"This is really bad," muttered Officer Jennifer. "We've thrown everything at it and nothing works. Captain, what about--"

"Don't even ask, Jen," he interrupted. "The _Euphrates_' arsenal is poorly-packed at the moment. We used it all up fighting all the other machines. Ain't no good to us now, less we use it as a ramming device, and the ship's too close to my heart for that. I ain't got any ideas that don't involve us runnin' away."

"So what are you suggesting?" she wondered desperately. Thatcher paused for a while, but was forced to duck down fast as another blast scorched the area, leveling more buildings in the process. Cassidy saw the wall of energy burn through the air and ground, and screamed as she shoved a catatonic Jessie out of the way.

"OOF!" Both women were tossed violently as the shockwave of the attack shoved them into the gravel; Cassidy landed on Jessie, incredibly injured and somewhat surprised that she had done such a thing. Jessie was even more stunned.

"Cassidy… You… saved my life…"

"Ughn… barely," groaned the other woman. "Don't know why I did it… heh. Maybe I was feeling too heroic for my own good." Jessie smiled warmly at her friend-turned-enemy-turned ally, and helped her stand to her feet.

"We'd better get you to Nurse Joyleen on the double." Cassidy mutely agreed, not quite so weak that she couldn't smile. Thatcher snarled in horror at the monster's power, and made a decision that nobody thought he ever would.

"We'd better hightail it outta here if we don't wanna get fried!" he shouted. Both Jennifer and Joyleen stared at him in surprise, but Thatcher had been perfectly serious when he said that, and to prove it, he said it again. "Okay, maties! We'd better run while we can! I hate doing this, but we ain't got no choice! Retreat!!"

"Captain!"

"Wouldn't do us any good to stick around and die, Ash!" he shouted. "Best to run! I don't like it, but y'all are my responsibility! I'd be ashamed to look at myself in the mirror if I let y'all get hurt! C'mon, it's for your own good!" Amazed that the cavalier Captain had said such a thing, Ash slowly turned for the ship and made a run for it. Misty and Gary saw him running, and concluded that the bullheaded young man had a very good reason for retreat, so they followed him. Brock and Lenneth both made a mad dash for the ship, and soon everyone was making the second desperate escape of the campaign.

Captain Thatcher, Jennifer, and Joyleen each helped shepherd everyone else inside, staying behind bravely even as the Angel caught onto what they were doing. Although not too smart, it easily observed their attempt at retreat and became angry over the potential loss of its prey, so it turned around and gave chase to them. Jennifer, Joyleen, and Thatcher screamed for everyone to hurry, and as soon as the last foot was on the hatch, they scrambled inside and screamed orders everywhere. The Angel was too fast, though, and quickly rammed into the ship before it had a chance to take off.

The Dreadnaught, large and powerful but at the mercy of the Psychic machine, spun out of control as it sailed into the atmosphere, rolling around and around endlessly, sending its crew tossing and turning like clothes in a dryer. Inside, chaos and terror shook everyone in every direction as if they were inside a rattle shaken by an angry giant, yet through it all, someone managed to hear bits and pieces of Thatcher's commands. The ship rocked and sailed on its sudden aerial path, but in time, a steadfast navigator and yeoman took control of it again, and managed to land it on some foreign, far-off country, where it rested and stayed and refused to get back up.

To be continued…


	15. Gathering of Heroes, Part 2

Fifteen: Gathering of Heroes, Part Two

A fierce, cruel, wailing wind greeted the beaten passengers of the Dreadnaught as they crawled outside. They had only recently gotten their insides to stop spinning, and the last thing that their dizzy bodies wanted to see was a desolate and hopeless land. The sharp winds, blowing over empty fields void of life, stung their eyes dry and combed through their hair like the ghosts of the past reaching out in torment. It was a dry world, without anything to see for miles around, except for stone and the weary crew.

Barely thankful to be alive, Ash tumbled onto the ground, the weakness from the turbulent journey still trembling in his body. He could hear Misty struggling to breathe, and Gary made a groaning sound as he came out into the open. Everyone was either limping or exhausted, and not feeling to well emotionally since the hasty retreat. Not even the Captain's enthusiasm could lift their spirits up from the wasteland in which they had been thrown into, so great were their burdens.

Nurse Joyleen had kept Cassidy inside because of her injury, but soon everyone wanted to duck back in to avoid the wind and the loneliness. It was just an overwhelming situation, and despite the numerous victories that had already piled on their shoulders, the past defeats and the upcoming impossibilities, linked together with the emptiness of the world they had been thrust into, truly did well to consume their entire selves, body and soul. Not a single person was without misery, even though Brock and Lenneth held each other close, and Jessie and James did their best to lighten the situation.

Ash raised his head, and could hear the howling and moaning carried by the tormented wind. It was like listening to a chorus of lost souls, chained and tormented on the rocks of the underworld, wailing about their fruitless pilgrimage and the waste of their journeys. The song was chilling, unlike the dry and warm world they had been tossed into--a land of stone and sand, without even a blade of grass to perk their hopes up. On top of everything, the once-proud _Euphrates_ had been ruined and broken from the aerial tumble, and laid in ruins on the ground, partially torn open like a carved bird. Ash could only stare at the ruins as a sense of hopelessness finally settled in.

"So is this really the end?" he wondered, his voice sounding very old and weary. Misty gave him a sad, sympathetic look, not bothering to get angry since she wasn't feeling that enthusiastic either.

"Ash… we can't give up. There's got to be a way that we can overcome this."

"I… I know," he managed quietly. He turned around and gave Misty a weak smile, which she tried so desperately to brighten with her own. She crouched down next to him, still smiling, and offered him some comfort in that time of darkness.

"We can't just sit here and brood forever," sighed Thatcher once it seemed he was ready to stir the troops again. "I know I said that we couldn't afford to lose that last fight, but losin' ain't the end of the world. We can't be miserable just cuz' we lost and the ship's ruined. We've got to strike back and show'em that we can still fight!"

"And how do you suggest that?" wondered James. "If we've lost our ship--"

"Blast it, young'un, ain't you got sense in that head of yours?!" snapped Thatcher angrily. "Who bloody cares if we don't have a ship? We got our lives and our hearts, and that's all we be needing! Besides, it's not that badly damaged! I can probably fix it up in a few days!"

"But we're so close to winning!" shouted Brock. "If we stall now, then…"

"Let's be patient now!" said Officer Jennifer. "Let's not rush into this hastily! If it takes us awhile to repair the ship, then so be it! I don't want to face Team Rocket unless we're at full strength! We can afford to wait."

"But you don't need to do that, Officer Jenny!" A new and yet somewhat familiar voice called out to them from across the lifeless land, and as everyone turned around to see who it was, they noticed a young man running towards them. Ash and Misty gasped in excitement as their old friend Tracey Sketchum came running towards them, waving and smiling broadly.

"Ah! Tracey!! How did you find us?!" Tracey came to a halt and smiled at everyone, overjoyed to finally be back with old friends and new faces. A second person was following him, younger and smaller but no less enthusiastic. Ash recognized him as Ritchie, his old friend.

"Hey, don't forget about me!" shouted the young boy. "Tracey and I came over here as fast as we could! We've been following your exploits ever since Professor Oak gave us the news, but it's just been one problem after the next trying to find you!"

"Really?" asked Ash. Both young men nodded their heads.

"It was through sheer luck alone that we were able to find you!" said Tracey. "Who would've guessed that when this great big ship landed here, that it would be close to where we were at the time! What a convenience!"

"Convenience, you say?" muttered James. "Well, not for us! You wouldn't believe what we just went through! It was pure panic!" Tracey gave him a sympathetic nod.

"I can't imagine… Oh, and don't worry--Professor Oak told us about you two. It's really great that you're on our side. I have a feeling that we'll need all the strength we can muster! Professor Oak also told us that we'd probably be in the company of the infamous 'Shark of the Skies', but I didn't think he was serious!"

"Old fool," muttered Thatcher to himself. He gave Tracey and Ritchie a thin smile and shook their hands. "Well, I guess he's entitled to say whatever he wants. Are you two scamps here to help us?"

"Yeah, but it's not just us two!" replied Ritchie. Ash asked what his friend meant, and so he proudly indicated towards one of the large rocky hills that stood around the crashed Dreadnaught. Everyone looked up, wondering who or what would show up next, but the surprise they found was perhaps too extraordinary to believe.

From every corner of the great horizon came the Gym leader of every single major town that Ash and his friends had visited. From Vermilion there came Lieutenant Surge, the brawny master of electric Pokemon; from Celadon came Erika, the sweet plant mistress; from Sapphire came Sabrina, the lady of psychic Pokemon; from Fuchsia came Koga, the ninja master of poison; and from Cinnabar came Blaine, the fire champion. Ash and all his friends smiled broadly as their old rivals appeared from up above, like warriors streaming down from the heavens to participate in the battle of the ages. But the surprises didn't end there.

Following after the Gym leaders came the legendary Elite Four, every one of them towering over their comrades like gods. There was Lance the dragon master, Bruno the fighting champion, Agatha the ice Lady, and Lorelei the ghost mistress, all of them well stocked for war and ready to fight, all of them proud to serve under the same banner. Everyone below gawked up at the appearance of the mighty army, and wondered how such powerful forces had been assembled.

"Where did you all come from?" wondered Brock. Tracey gave him a smile and explained, as the Gym leaders and the Elite Four slid down the plateaus.

"It was easy! Remember, Ritchie and I were following you as you made your way across the world! We were able to convince the Gym leaders of every major city we visited to join our cause, and to fight Team Rocket as one! I never thought that they would all agree on this one objective, but it seems as if they all agree that the way things are now is too rough for the everyday Pokemon trainer!"

"So you're _all_ going to join us??" wondered Gary. Every new addition to the team affirmed his question.

"Yes," said Koga, "it's high time that we stop hiding within the safety of our gyms and come out fighting! We owe the world that much at least."

"It's not only our job to defend our cities, but the entire world as well!" agreed Erika. Sabrina offered one of her bright smiles.

"Consider us your allies and your friends, even well after this war is over. If our powers can help at all, then we'll be happy to serve."

"So now that we're all here, let's go kick some Team Rocket butt!" shouted Lt. Surge. "What's stopping us, huh?"

"Well, you see…" Ash, Misty, and Brock pointed to the downed ship, offering weak smiles to compensate for the heavy loss. Surge scoffed.

"Pshaw! Is that all? Why, we can overcome that in no time! Lance!"

"I was wondering when I'd make an appearance!" he exclaimed. The Elite dragon master smiled, and revealed his massive collection of dragon Pokemon, all of them with exceptional power and speed. "We can just ride on my precious dragons to the next base, wherever that is! Lorelei and Agatha even brought walkie-talkies so we could communicate with each other!"

"We'll definitely need them if we want to devise a proper attack plan," they said as they passed the devices out to everyone. Captain Thatcher and Officer Jennifer declined the offer, saying that they would stay behind to monitor the transmissions and organize everyone else.

"Hey, where exactly is our next destination?" asked Blaine. "Are we gonna go back to Sapphire City and destroy that machine?"

"Why bother?" grumbled Thatcher. "Now that we're armed to the teeth with the greatest Pokemon trainers the world has to offer, it's time to flex our muscle! Ladies, gentlemen, friends and allies alike, it's high time we invade the main Team Rocket headquarters itself!"

"Are you serious, sir?" asked a doubtful Jennifer. "I mean, we still have a long way to go! Even without five of their machines and one of their leaders, the main base still poses a threat!"

"I know, but there's no other way," he shrugged. "Of course, I never woulda mentioned it if we didn't suddenly have a stream of new allies. The fact is that we've been given a great addition to our party. If we can't take the main base now, then when?" Jennifer shook her head, unable to answer him. The big rogue smiled, patted her shoulder, and turned to the eleven that had recently appeared. "Well, any of you have any objections?"

"We came here for action, so that's what we want!" shouted Bruno. The other Elites agreed with him, and the Gym leaders rose up a shout as well. Thatcher smiled, and gave the nod for Lance to release his dragon Pokemon. Every single one was just large enough to lift a person up on their back, which made them ideal for striking the base. It was still agreed that everyone should rest until Cassidy was better, but once the redheaded former Rocket was on her feet, the chariots of war would be mounted and the final act of the world revolution would be played out.

To be continued…


	16. Into Nibelheim

Sixteen: Into Nibelheim

"There it is!" Gary was the first to spot the main Team Rocket base, a large and overwhelming fortress situated in the middle of a forest, perfectly hidden and perhaps perfectly defended from any attack.

"Look at the size of that thing!" gasped Ash as he closed in on it. The main base was indeed abnormally big, as large as four of the normal-sized bases and probably defended well; it would take them awhile to destroy it. From over their walkie-talkies, the voice of Captain Thatcher called out to them.

"My screen shows you're all closing in on them. All fighters report in."

"Ash Ketchum, standing by!"

"Gary Oak, standing by!"

"Brock and Lenneth, standing by!"

"Ritchie and Tracey, standing by!"

"James and Botch, standing by!"

"BUTCH!"

"Jessie and Cassidy, standing by!"

"Koga!"

"Lieutenant Surge!"

"Erika!"

"Sabrina!"

"Blaine!"

"The Elite Four, standing by!"

"Lance, guide the dragons in attack position."

"Aye, sir!" Lance whistled out to his dragons, ordering them to fly in offensive form, ready at any time to attack the Team Rocket headquarters. One by one, they all obeyed, spreading their arms forward and their wings out.

"…May the powers be with us," whispered Thatcher, his voice more hopeful than aggressive. Nobody could disagree that this was a very difficult time for them all, even when their numbers had leaped up and they were using dragon Pokemon. It was probably going to be their last battle, perhaps the most destructive as well, and many of them feared the loss of a comrade--or even themselves. Thatcher, Jennifer, and Joyleen could only watch from the ruins of the Dreadnaught as their comrades flew into the very heart of chaos.

"What's this!" shouted Joyleen over the comm devices. "I'm detecting a large amount of anti-aircraft guns stationed everywhere around the base! There're hundreds of them! Everyone, be careful!"

"I read ya, Joyleen!" shouted Gary, a smile tugging at his mouth. He flew his dragon apart from the main group, deciding it would be better to swoop in from a different direction. Ash shouted out to him.

"Gary, what do you think you're doing?"

"Weren't you listening? Nurse Joyleen said that this thing has teeth! They're gonna start shooting at us any second now! Disband from the main group and spread out! We'll be harder to hit individually!"

"He's right!" agreed Blaine, so he swooped his dragon away from the main group. Suddenly, an eruption of gunfire came right out of the base, narrowly missing Misty's dragon. She yelped in terror and barely clung on as the creature performed a hasty barrel roll.

"Aah! What was that?! Were those the guns?"

"Yes; separate now!" shouted Jennifer over the devices. The others grimly agreed and split apart from the group like billiard balls being broken and scattered. As soon as they separated, a vast spray of gunfire gushed out of the main base, like white-hot droplets of deadly rain come to destroy the intruders. Everyone screamed and shouted as they were being attacked from every conceivable angle possible, and just when it looked like things wouldn't get worse, they did.

What appeared to be the remainder of Team Rocket agents came marching out of the main base, loaded for bear and ready to defend their territory to the very last one of them. They fired guns and threw explosives up in the air; some even called forth Pokemon to take down the attackers.

"This is insane!" shouted Brock over all the noise. He forced his stomach to stay down as his dragon twirled around a blast of fire from below, and listened intently for any instructions from the others. Lance, who had taken over the leadership from Captain Thatcher, quickly organized a plan.

"Keep your heads, everyone! Koga, Gary, Sabrina! You three formulate an attack plan and assault the northeast tower of the base! Surge, Ritchie, Tracey, Ash! Take care of the northwest! Lorelei, I want you to lead Brock, Erika, and Blaine to the southeast; Agatha, you take the southwest with James, Lenneth, and Cassidy! Bruno, you lead Jessie, Misty, and Butch to those people on the ground floor! I'll join you in a second!"

"Copy, leader!" The dragon riders split apart again and joined forces with their respective teams, concentrating on a single area of the base instead of just dodging everywhere and hoping for a clear shot. Lance smiled thinly and guided his dragon towards the very center of the base, diving down on it like a bomb as it summoned up its incredible power.

"NOW!" The creature quickly belched out flames and blasts of destructive energy as it swooped back up into the air, sending the first indication of attack against the base. A thunderous clap shook the air as Lance retreated, lighting the sky up and frightening his dragon.

"Lance! Lance, you okay?!"

"Yeah, I just got a little cooked, that's all. What about you guys?"

"Receiving heavy firepower from southwest quad," reported Cassidy. "Multiple guns on towers 01, 06, and 09; main cannon's speed is greater than I remembered. Suggestions?"

"James, Agatha, try and draw that fire! Cassidy, you concentrate all your power on that big gun you talked about! I want Lenneth to take the small guns!"

"Copy."

"Why _me_?" wailed James. Lance growled at the poor man's cowardice.

"Because I gave you a bloody fast dragon, that's why!"

"Good heavens, I never asked foorrraaaaiiieeeeeeee!!!!!!!" Lance winced as he heard James screaming, probably over little more than his dragon doing a very good job at evading the shots. He hastily tumbled his own ride out of the way of a large blast, and swerved it around to help join his comrades on the ground floor. The agents on the surface were barely able to scatter fast enough to evade the blasts the three dragons were sending down them, although a few had found cover and were returning fire. Lance gritted his teeth like a mongrel before a fight and let his dragon assault them at will, scattering agents and debris to all corners as he fired.

"Thanks," sighed Bruno. "They were giving us a hard time."

"Watch your left, Ash!" shouted Surge. The brawny Lieutenant quickly soared his dragon in and smacked away one of the explosives that had strayed from the surface, sending it hurtling towards the base. Ash audibly sighed over the radios.

"Thanks, Lieutenant. …Aaah, look out!" Ash quickly steered his dragon to the left and preemptively shot fire before the cannons of the northwest tower could shoot first. The incoming bullets were fried and the guns themselves melted under the intense sudden blast; Ash yelped out in victory.

"All right! Got one!"

"Butch! You've got fire on your tail!" shouted Misty's voice.

"I can't shake it!" Butch swerved his dragon as quickly as he could, but the pursuing shots chased him relentlessly, sometimes coming so close that his dragon groaned in pain. He gritted his teeth nervously, beads of sweat coming down his forehead as he scrambled for ideas. Suddenly, a dragon swooped in from directly above and blasted back at the assaulter, destroying them and the area around it. Butch sighed with relief.

"I owe you, little girl."

"Lance, Thatcher! We have just destroyed all but the main cannon on the southeast tower!" shouted Erika's voice. "We're receiving heavy firepower from over here! I don't know how much more we can take!"

"What do you mean, 'heavy firepower'? Didn't you destroy it?"

"Lance, we've picked up a new signal coming from the base!" came Captain Thatcher's voice suddenly. Lance froze.

"What is it?"

"Enemy choppers, at least a dozen of them." Lance maintained radio silence as he slowly absorbed this new bit of deadly information.

"…I'll be there in a few seconds, Erika." Lance quickly dove away from fighting the ground battles and flew as fast as he could towards the southeast tower. He could already see the twelve black choppers rising out of the base like locusts from the Pit, and chewed his lip as he prepared for a prolonged fight.

"Lance!!"

"Just hold them off for a few seconds!" he shouted. Lance quickly reared his dragon up and commanded it to spew flames, and at least one chopper was struck hard with the blast. The others scattered and pursued the intruders individually; Lance stuck around to help completely destroy the southeast tower.

"Well, that's one less mess on our hands," sighed Erika wearily. "Boss, you okay?"

"I won't be until we get those choppers. Cassidy, any news on the southwest?"

"It's all clear over here, sir. We're going after the choppers now."

"Good idea. Lorelei, I want your team to go help them! The rest of you, once you've destroyed the towers, go after the choppers. Take them down individually; they'll be too hard to hit in groups."

"Copy, leader!" Erika, Lorelei, Blaine, and Brock soared away from the southeast tower and charged towards the choppers, who had begun to gang up upon those that were being overwhelmed by the anti-aircraft fire. The combined help of the dragons was destroying more and more helicopters, and Cassidy, Lenneth, James, and Agatha all let out a yawp as they joined their comrades.

"Koga! Stay on target! You're too close!" shouted Sabrina's voice suddenly.

"I'm okay! I know what I'm doing!"

"No, pull up! You'll get fried!"

"Gotta stay my course…"

"Koga!!" A cloud of smoke and flame erupted out of nowhere, slamming into Koga's dragon with an immense force, disabling it severely. Koga screamed as his mount plummeted to the ground, and a shower of fire cruelly blasted after it as it fell.

"NO!! Return to the Pokeball!" Acting quickly, Lance summoned his dragon back inside the safety of the ball, while Koga drifted down to the surface on a parachute. Blaine could hear him sigh with relief.

"Good thing you all had these… but don't worry about me. A ninja can find more than one way to defeat an enemy…"

"Koga?" Koga's transmission had ended, so the only thing they got was silence. Gary shook his head, not sure what to make of things. Acting hastily, he wheeled his dragon around and opened fire on the northeastern tower.

"This is for Koga!" he shouted. The tower was instantly engulfed in flames and blasts of energy, until it could take no more and erupted in a column of flame. Gary couldn't quite pull up in time and got caught in the rain of debris and fire.

"Hey, kid! Are you all right?!" Gary could be heard screaming as his dragon careened out of control, and both Lance and Sabrina bit their lips in worrisome anticipation. They were mercilessly shaken out of their silence by a blast from below, so they hastily dove away and took care of the nuisance. Meanwhile, Gary took control of his dragon and his senses, and quickly steered it back to normality before it could crash. He let a relieved breath come out.

"That was too close! Hey, did I get the tower?"

"Don't scare us like that, kid!" snapped Sabrina angrily, her voice strained from fighting. Gary chuckled.

"Ehh, I'm all right. I _am_ the great Gary Oak, after--"

"Okay, okay, we've heard enough from you!" interrupted Sabrina. "Now if you're still able to fight, go help the people on the northwest tower! I'll take care of the ground floor!"

"Gotcha!" Gary swooped his dragon over to the northwest tower, the only one still posing a threat, and saw that Tracey, Ritchie, and Ash still had their hands full.

"I caught one on my tail!" shouted Ritchie, glancing back to see a deadly chopper bearing down on him.

"If you catch a chopper, make evasive maneuvers! Pair up in groups of two and watch each other's backs!"

"I'm on my way, Ritchie!" shouted Ash. Gary smiled in spite of himself and watched poor Ritchie sweat until the very last, when Ash performed an impressive barrel roll around a column of bullets and smashed up against the chopper. The dragon slapped the machine away with its immense strength, sending it soaring down to the ground where it smashed into pieces.

"Thanks, Ash…" sighed Ritchie. Gary snorted.

"You guys still need my help?" he asked. Ash actually looked glad.

"You couldn't have come at a better time, Gary! This is a tough tower!"

"Yeah, but look at who's attacking it! You're so weak, Ashy-boy!"

"Enough of this!" boomed Surge suddenly. "Your petty rivalry can be put aside for now! Concentrate on destroying that tower!"

"Aw, it's okay, Lieutenant," replied Ash in a carefree voice. "I'm used to it now. It's just hot air from a buffoon."

"Huh?" Gary stared back at his rival in astonishment, surprised that he had made such a comment. He couldn't help but think of Ash in a higher light now, simply because of that last statement. _Maybe he has grown up a bit during this journey… Grandpa was right; he's matured!_ Not willing to be outdone like that, Gary took his dragon and assaulted the tower mercilessly. Tracey and Ash joined him, and together the three young boys annihilated the final tower. They all cheered, but a surprise announcement from the Dreadnaught jarred their good mood.

"Not so fast, lads! We're pickin' up _more_ choppers comin' in! At least fifty more!!"

"FIFTY!!!!" shrieked everyone. Ash gawked.

"Captain, you gotta be joking!"

"I wish I was, lad! I triple-checked just to make sure! There's fifty, all right, all coming towards you!"

"Where did they come from?" wondered Bruno. Lance shook his head slowly.

"They must be what was left over from the other bases. While we were kept busy with the guns and the first wave, the other bases were alerted all around the world of our invasion. They sent all their forces over to surround us!"

"Then what're we supposed to do?" wondered Misty fearfully. Lance could only shake his head and sigh.

"We fight, of course. We fight and we fight until one side goes down. That's all we can do. Jessie, Bruno, what's the status on the ground floor?"

"Resistance fleeting," replied Bruno. "There's nobody left. I think we got them all."

"And the towers?"

"All main guns destroyed and accounted for," replied Erika. "The base is wounded, and aside from those choppers, there's only one other defense, and that's the sub-guns stationed everywhere we didn't get."

"So the base is…"

"I think it's ours," replied the Grass master with a smile. Lance let out a cheer and quickly gave a very enthusiastic order.

"Okay then! All it took was patience and persistence! We lost a few people, but the bulk of our attack force is still here! Guys!! I want everyone to focus all his or her attacks on the main base! Blow it to smithereens, and then blow the _smithereens_ to smithereens!"

"What about those choppers?" asked Agatha. Lance chuckled.

"They won't be here for awhile. Elite Four, I want us to hold them off when they arrive. If we need help, I want the former members of Team Rocket to come to our aide. Everyone else should focus everything they have on that base! Don't stop until there's nothing but rubble!"

"Copy that!"

"It's dangerous, but I'm willing to give it a try!" exclaimed James. Jessie agreed wholeheartedly.

"Right! Take one last look at Team Rocket's main base, because it's about to be destroyed!!" The dragon riders swooped down on the main base, all of them simultaneously letting their firepower pour out on the fortress like the wrath of God. Massive explosions erupted everywhere as it was being pummeled from above, and although there were still enough small guns to constitute as a threat, there were far too many attackers to be taken down. They kept swooping down and letting loose the firepower of the dragons, wave after relentless wave, until the base was awash with flame.

"Incoming!" shouted Agatha. Just as predicted, a whole swarm of Team Rocket helicopters chased after them, their blades whirring like the sound of giant killer bees. Bruno bellowed out a war cry.

"COME AND GET SOME OF THIS!! ELITE FOUR!!!!!" The four master trainers flew towards the choppers, expecting to get into a ferocious and perhaps final fight, but a strange radio signal intercepted them.

"Wait, stop! Don't shoot! We're on your side!"

"Say what?" muttered Lorelei. "Team Rocket's on _our_ side? Hey, don't you know what we're attacking?"

"It's okay," reported a voice from one of the choppers. "We're members of Team Rocket who were loyal to Giovanni. We heard of his death and wanted to avenge him by striking back at those who killed him. We've been waiting for somebody to take a stand like this."

"You can't possibly be serious!" exclaimed Brock. Cassidy and Butch assured him that all was okay.

"We told a few of our friends of what happened, and they promised to help us fight. Unfortunately, this was all we could gather; everyone else isn't quite as loving of the true Team Rocket as we are."

"Son of a gun!" whispered Lance in awe. "I never thought I would see the day! Team Rocket off to destroy Team Rocket!"

"We don't like attacking our own base, but those two people gave us no choice!" said one of the helicopter voices. "It's a shame, and it'll feel weird, but… it's what we believe in. Now they can face the wrath of the _true_ Team Rocket!"

"Oh, brother," moaned James. "And to think that we used to be like that!" One of the helicopter pilots croaked in sudden surprise as he heard James' voice.

"Holy cow, is that James William Wyatt?!?! It is!! JAMES, you son of a devil! We all thought you and Jessie were dead!"

"You honestly can't expect the most famous members of Team Rocket to die so easily, now!" boasted Jessie proudly. The chopper pilots laughed heartily.

"No, of course not. It's great to hear your voice, Jessie. Frankly, we'd rather see your blessed hairstyles than a hundred helicopters!" James and Jessie blushed as they were complimented with such regard, and the helicopters continued moving forward towards the base. With the crew of the Dreadnaught still in awe over what they had heard, the choppers and the dragons combined their forces and laid waste to the main Team Rocket base, erupting it in a wave of fire until it was completely destroyed.

"WAHOO!!! We did it!!!" Gary shrieked out joyously as the explosion rocked the world, and everyone joined him in cheering for the devastation. The dragons and the choppers quickly landed, and the survivors of the fight dismounted, wobbly and weary but full of victorious energy. Hugs and embraces were shared everywhere as former enemies and rivals put aside all their differences and celebrated together.

"WAIT!" shouted a familiar voice. The brief party stopped as everyone turned around to see Koga running towards them, his entire body covered with smoke and scratches, a bundle wrapped in his arms. Erika gasped as she saw him.

"Oh, goodness! We forgot about you, Koga! Were you caught in that explosion?"

"Just barely," he wheezed breathlessly, his entire body looking burnt (although there probably wasn't any real damage done to him). "I originally wanted to infiltrate the base and destroy it from within, like a true ninja master, but I had second thoughts once I found this!" Carefully, he presented the bundle to the group, and out of the blanket came an extremely familiar and annoying voice, coughing and sputtering as it was freed from the ninja's grip.

"Aaah! I can't breathe! Help me, get me some air! I think all my nine lives just flashed right before my eyes! What kinda crazy dope is this, anyhow?!"

"It's Meowth!" squealed Jessie and James. Despite all their past enmities, the loveable duo pounced on Koga and embraced Meowth fiercely, hugging him and squealing over him to no end. The poor kitten was barely able to scream because of the sudden attention he was being given.

"Ow, OOOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!! That hoits! It hoits all over! Ahhh, stoooooop!!!!" Meowth quickly slashed at poor Jessie and James, ceasing their overbearing actions just like old times. The unfortunate duo glared at Meowth angrily, who could only stutter and shirk backwards as he saw his one-time partners back from the dead.

"AAAAHHH!! It's a ghost! Aaah, it's _two_ ghosts! James, Jessie! How on Oith did you two get here? H-h-have you come b-b-back to _haunt_ me?"

"Meowth, ghosts don't get scratches all over their faces!" spat James in a booming voice.

"You don't seem very happy to see us, either!" screamed Jessie, baring her fangs to the poor feline. Meowth's face paled deeply as perspiration washed over.

"Aah, uhh, umm… well, ahh, I just didn't t'ink dat you'd be alive and all… I mean, uh… I guess… yer not as clumsy as da boss made ya out to be!"

"Meeeeeoooowwwwth!!!!!!" James and Jessie ganged up on him in a rage, but instead of pummeling the poor cat, they hugged him even tighter, which was even more of a surprise to the poor Pokemon.

"Oh, Meowth… it's really you… We missed you so much!!"

"HUH?????"

"It's true!" sang James, cuddling the confused cat. "It's like we weren't even complete without an annoying ball of fuzz following us around all the time! Have you been in the base all this time?"

"Uh… yeah, I guess. But jeez, where have you two been? I really t'ought youse was dead!"

"It's a long story!" gushed Jessie happily, her eyes tearing up from the joy of reuniting with Meowth. The cat smiled coolly and held his paw out as if there was nothing to it.

"Well, youse can tell me later! Hey, who are all these people? And why are you with the twerps?"

"Didn't we tell you it was a long story?" growled James. Poor Meowth shrieked as he towered over him, but of course, James couldn't be mad at Meowth forever and hugged him one more time. Everyone else burst out in riotous laughter, glad that the "team" was now whole once again.

"Wait, why are we all laughing?!" shouted Butch suddenly. Everyone stopped and looked at him in confusion. "This isn't over yet! This isn't over by a long shot! We still have Morrison to deal with!"

"Oh, you're right!" exclaimed his partner. "I nearly forgot! But wouldn't he be in the base?"

"I wouldn't count on it," muttered Butch warily. "It's not going to be that easy to eliminate Team Rocket completely. In fact, he probably found that last machine and is looking for us right now! Stay on your toes, everyone. This last battle of ours isn't over yet."

To be continued…


	17. World Revolution

Seventeen: World Revolution

As the team waited for something to happen, they distinctly heard the sound of something similar to a jet, flying overhead towards their location. They all looked up, and were surprised to find the Light Elemental machine headed straight for them, in all its pseudo-angelic glory. Not totally surprised by its sudden appearance (after all, it had been the only machine that wasn't destroyed), Butch and Cassidy braced themselves.

"Here it comes," he said, his voice overflowing with anxiety. The machine slowly landed on the surface, looking no less intimidating than it had been before, and cleaner and less scarred from battle as well. As the large team watched and waited to see what would happen, a hidden hatch in the Angel's chest area opened up, revealing the very last and perhaps strongest remnant of Team Rocket, the tall and powerful Morrison Glidden.

"So it was you who were committing all these acts of rebellion, Butch and Cassidy!" he snarled, baring his steel teeth. "How could you betray us like that? And you've even managed to gather together a few lousy gym leaders to fight with you! I never expected that those little nuisances that Marion and I fought so many times before were in this as well, though. I guess you're just like a cockroach: you just can't stay dead. Well, I'm here to crush you for good!"

"Give it up, Morrison!" shouted Cassidy angrily. "Team Rocket is almost completely gone! Your bases have been destroyed, the main headquarters is rubble, and most of the agents are either dead, imprisoned, scattered, or else against you! The Pokemon you captured have been safely returned, and with the destruction of the headquarters, that Master Ball blueprint and the Pokemon radar are destroyed as well!"

"Not while I still live," he gloated darkly, proudly holding up the very items she had talked about. Cassidy gasped in horror, and quickly turned to Koga and Meowth.

"Tell me you at least freed all those Pokemon!!" He firmly nodded his head.

"Why else do you think I was gone so long?" The redheaded former Rocket sighed wearily, as if she had learned that something very terrible was now false.

"Well, that's a relief. I'm glad they escaped. So it's just us and you then, eh Steel Mouth?"

"What about Marion?" he grumbled. "As long as the two of us are still alive, none of you can ever hope to win, not even with your numbers."

"I hate to break this to you," replied Butch, "but Marion Burke is no longer on the mortal world. She was brutally murdered, probably by members of Team Rocket that opposed your new order." Morrison froze solid as he heard the sudden and tragic news of his partner's death, and could barely even move, so great was the shock. Marion had been an unstoppable killing machine, capable of cruelty and malice that few humans could ever dream possible. She was also thoughtful, and lethally calm, with a sharp beauty to her and a heart twisted by some past trauma. It was just not possible…

"No," he croaked, his deep voice straining to be heard, "it isn't possible… Marion can't be dead… she wouldn't let anything stop her. That was not a human; that was a force of nature! How could something so strong and great suffer at the hands of the Reaper?"

"She had everything thrown at her and more!" shouted Ash. "Aside from fighting us and nearly getting smashed by that Demon machine, she must've been shot fifteen times by those other people! There's no way that she could've--"

"It's not true!!!!!" he roared, his loud voice sending the heavens trembling. "It's impossible! You can't _prove_ it!!"

"We can and we will!" shouted Jessie. "Morrison, her last words were full of regret! She admitted that the pursuit of power only leads to destruction, which was what the old boss told both you and her before you killed him! She felt sorry that she couldn't be by your side in her final moments! She regretted ever having started such violence, but still wondered what course of action was really the right way to go!"

"So is that the way things went?!" he boomed. "Did Marion really wonder whose way of conquering the world was best? Did she really contemplate whether our way was good; whether the way of force and fear was best? Did she want to see who was right, you or us? So, that's what was on her mind when she died…" He grumbled to himself, shaking his head wearily, the burden of his partner's death sagging his strong shoulders down and the remnants of her last thoughts striking delicate chords in his mind.

_Marion… we both wanted this world to be at peace… and we thought that the only way to do it was to make humans so afraid of further violence that they would never reenact it again…_

"Humans are nothing more than advanced primates, fighting selfishly for everything except each other," he murmured quietly, his voice ragged and harsh. "We are just foolish creatures, greedy and selfish, never wanting to think of others and always too eager to fight to think of anything else. The only way that humans can learn is if they are taught to fear--if they experience violence. That's the only thing we humans know, violence--so what better way to attain peace than by the one universal concept!!!"

"But that's not how to do things at all!" shouted James, standing up against the final obstacle. "Haven't you yet realized that violence only ends in more violence?"

"A pathetic response!" growled Morrison. "Are you referring to the state the world was in right after Marion and I took over it? All that rebellion? Yes, I admit that our actions caused more actions--but that also was the doing of other humans! If only they had abided by our rules and wishes, they would have lived in peace and wouldn't have suffered. It was _your_ group that brought the war upon the world, not us! All we wanted to do was end the anarchy!"

"But look at the means in which you came to that conclusion!" insisted Lenneth. "You used that which you were fighting _against_ in your quest--violence cannot bring peace!"

"Ah, but it has!" growled Morrison. "The blood of human beings cannot bubble forever without releasing somewhere. This release is called war: where human beings are allowed to be savages again, and to let go of all their hate and frustration upon their own kind! Hate in times of 'peace' continues to rise and rise, until it overflows and spills out like lava! Wars, violence, the endless killing… once it's all over, people come to their senses and realize how foolish they were, and wish to be at peace again. So what I say is true!"

"That's absurd!" shrieked Lenneth. "War only causes sadness and grief! It's terrible how people hurt each other! It brings out the worst in everybody, even those not involved! How can you justify a world that relies upon making other people suffer? Doesn't that sound barbaric?"

"When humans learn that wars are truly pointless, it will be then that they realize that only peace can make them happy," he replied softly. "When people are exposed to the greatest amount of violence and control they have ever witnessed, they will be so afraid to fight that they will never revolt! And then, through suffering, comes the birth of harmony!"

"But people will still revolt!" shouted Brock. "You saw what happened! Our group stood up against Team Rocket! You were committing so many horrible atrocities that even your most loyal members were forced to flee! They had to take a stand against all the injustice they saw, even those who performed unjust acts not too long before! Your way of doing things will make people want to be freed from oppression!"

"And then they spiral back into their old habits of fighting each other once they're tired of peace!" he snapped haughtily. Morrison laughed out loud, baring his steel teeth for the team to look upon, and snarled at them like a lion. "You see, we're having a little war right now, you and I. We can't see on the same line, so to resolve our conflict, we will fight. This is the base desire of all humans--resolving everything with a battle and allowing fate to decide who is right."

"But I refuse to fight!" shouted Ash, joining his friends. "I won't raise a finger unless you attack us first! We'll defend ourselves if necessary, but I refuse to be part of this stupid cycle you're talking about! Peace is worth fighting for, but we don't fight so we can have peace! I know it doesn't make sense, but… surely there's another way."

"…Maybe," snorted Morrison, "but Marion believed in it, and now I must honor her noble death. We shall see once and for all who is right, through what I hope to be our very last battle on this planet. Let the world see what the suffering of war _REALLY_ is, and then it will decide what to do!!"

"But you can't do anything!" replied James. "We outnumber you, and there's no way even that machine can win against all of us! Why don't you just give up?" Morrison only laughed.

"Ha! You really are stupid, my predecessor! Didn't Giovanni teach you anything about these machines? There's six of them, and they're very powerful on their own… but together, they're unstoppable!"

"Together?!" blurted Misty in shock. "What do you mean, 'together'? You're not thinking about…"

"We already destroyed those other machines, so whatever you're planning will be a waste of time!" shouted Butch. Morrison chuckled darkly.

"Ah, Giovanni… he really wanted this ultimate power to be a secret. He didn't even tell his closest agents… but I figured it out just by examining the creatures. As long as one of them still lives, I can resurrect all the others and create the Absolute Machine, the bearer of the Seventh Element, the Cosmos Machine!" Morrison pressed a series of buttons that had been in the Angel machine's cockpit, and extended his arms out as if to part the world.

"Absolute Machine, bearer of the Seventh Element, Cosmos! ACTIVATE!!!" Upon his command, the five other machines that had been destroyed suddenly rose to life, their blasted remains gathering together once again to create a mishmash of their former selves. Quickly, the destroyed machines rose up out of the ground, and blasted their way across the world towards the Team Rocket Headquarters, like stars shooting towards a single point in the sky. As everyone looked on in wonder, the five familiar machines arrived and began to reform themselves around the Angel machine, new parts and pieces fitting here and there until the entire machine was covered. It began growing in size as more and more was added onto it, and slowly, it towered over the very forests that surrounded the annihilated base.

As the final pieces were being added to the enormous sentinel, it began to resemble a vaguely humanoid monstrosity, as tall as a mountain and bearing traits and appearances of all six of the machines. Every person way down below on the surface gawked in astonishment as they saw the construction being completed, and once the very last fixing was in place, the giant raised its arms above its head, declaring supremacy over the entire world.

"Behold!" shouted Morrison's voice from deep inside the creature. "The true form of the six legendary machines, the Ultimate creation: the Cosmos Decimator!!" Gary, so petrified that he was almost a block of stone, summed up everyone's feelings in only two appropriate words:

"Oh, crap…"

----------

The machine took a single step forward, sending the entire earth trembling from just one step. It took another, gaining unbelievable distance in just two strides, and released a bit of its power upon the world. A flash of light came out of its forehead, scorching the forest around it and turning trees into ashes instantly. After destroying the woods, it turned its large head around, and with a single slap, it felled even more trees, sending them falling to the ground with a crash. The tiny team members could barely dash out of the way of the falling woods as they desperately struggled just to take that very next step.

The Cosmos Machine lumbered forward again, destined for a mad, mindless rampage on the entire forest and the miniscule specks that scurried at its feet. Inside, Morrison grinned gleefully as he piloted the Hercules-like machine through the woods, flattening dozens of trees with every stomp. He raised the monster's hands, spewing out flames and blasts of lightning from the palms and a barrage of gunfire and missiles from the fingers. There were also several pairs of wings on its backside, available to spread out and carry the abomination into the sky, where it would be unstoppable in its quest for global rule.

Those far beneath it did not allow it the chance to do so, however. Every single one of them released every Pokemon in their inventory, weak or strong, large or small, and commanded them all to attack the machine. Those that could shoot projectiles and waves of energy concentrated high on the machine; those that attacked with their physical bodies rammed into its legs. The Cosmos Decimator shuddered under the combined might of all the tiny creatures, but even their efforts did little more than dent it.

"You think it's going to be that easy!!" bellowed Morrison. With a shout, he guided the large hand of the machine towards the group, and prepared to fire a devastating blast. An eruption of ice and water came gushing out of the palm, instantly turning everything it touched into a glacier. The spray of frost was large, enveloping a huge chunk of the forest, so there was no way anybody could've escaped.

"Oh no! I've got to do something!" shivered Blaine. He ordered all his Fire Pokemon to try and melt the ice, but even that barely did anything. Morrison laughed, and aimed the machine's palm again.

"So you want fire, huh?" A scorching blast of heat erupted out of the machine's palm, incinerating the area that had been frozen just three seconds before. The blast was so powerful that had it not been for Sabrina's quick thinking, everything would have been reduced to dust.

"Alakazam! Are you okay?" The creature weakly affirmed its status, almost completely drained just from shielding them all from that one attack. Enraged, Sabrina turned her sights to the machine, but a sudden shockwave of psychic energy, perhaps three times greater than Mewtwo's, blasted everyone away before they could launch any offensive.

"Maybe I forgot to tell you, but this Cosmos Decimator has the powers of all the other six machines!" shouted Morrison haughtily. "And, of course, since it bears traits of the all-powerful Seventh Element, it can destroy anything and deflect any attack! Just watch if you doubt me!"

"Oh no!!!" screamed Lance, still weakened by the blast. His face exploded in horror as he saw the enormous monstrosity power up for a _really_ big attack, and ordered all of his dragons to carry everyone to safety. The noble beasts flew away with their cargo at a shattering speed, going so fast that the blood in their veins was stilled. As they sped away, an illuminating light covered the entire forest, perhaps even the entire continent, and a shuddering wave of incredible power erupted from out of the Decimator. It was as if the very stars themselves were now fighting against the small rebels.

"NO WAY!!!!" shrieked Gary, who had dared to look behind him to see what kind of devastation the monster was up to. An enormous crater, enveloping the entire forest so that not a single tree stood out, was all that was left of the frightening blast--and of course, the Decimator remained, flying overhead like the angel of Ragnarok, ready to deliver ultimate annihilation.

"That was… terrible!" whispered Butch, too petrified to even think. Brock quickly shook himself loose and began to formulate a plan.

"Look, if I know anything about machines, it's that it can't possibly perform that attack too many times. It might be the most powerful machine in existence, but it's still just a machine! It'll need time to cool off and recharge, and that's when we'll get it!"

"And how do you suggest we do that?" demanded James angrily. "In case you haven't noticed, it was pretty darn powerful before that blast! We don't stand a chance!"

"But we have to try!!!" exclaimed Brock, shouting so loud that the dragon he rode groaned from the noise. Brock softly apologized, and guided his mount over to where the Decimator waited. Thinking their headstrong comrade was positively nuts, Butch and James followed him into the pits of Hades once again. Lenneth smiled warmly.

"Brock… you're definitely a brave man…" She followed his example, and soon all of the dragons were soaring towards the machine in what was perhaps the most insane and desperate attack ever.

"Okay, Pikachu!" shouted Ash as he psyched his friend up. "This is it! Give it everything you have!" The cute little rodent squealed out an affirmative.

"You too, Arbok!" said Jessie. "And Wheezing! We all need to be at our best!"

"That's right! Together, we can do it!" James smiled proudly, and as soon as his dragon was within range of the large machine, he leaped off and called Wheezing. The polluted creature belched out a ball of black slime across the machine's face, blinding it and mucking up any kind of offensive capabilities the head had.

"Great! We can do it!" shouted Erika. She ordered all her Grass Pokemon to run circles around the machine's feet, tying them together with their vine whips. Of course, Morrison was not so dense that he didn't notice, and sent a razor-sharp blade spinning down from the Decimator's arm to cut the vines. To add injury to insult, he cruelly unleashed a fireball on the Grass creatures, striking them with a near-fatal blow. Erika gasped in horror as her beloved friends were injured, and stared up at the machine as it continued its endless rampage.

Lance, Lorelei, Agatha, and Bruno stood facing the monster, all their Pokemon lined up and ready to fight. They struck simultaneously, diverting all their power and every to a single source in hopes of at least debilitating the machine. Meanwhile, Butch and Cassidy had joined their archrivals and were attacking the other side. Soon, the gym leaders of the world were all surrounding it, using their Pokemon to attack from all corners so that no matter where it turned, it was facing a new attack.

"This has gone far enough!" snarled Morrison, somewhat strained by all the attacks. The machine trembled, and slammed its foot on the ground, sending a massive shattering of the earth towards every direction. Everyone was thrown back as the planet trembled; the skies were soon covered with lightning as the Decimator summoned a great bolt from its reserves. Brock quickly sent every Rock and Ground Pokemon he had to absorb the blast, but the Decimator's cruelty knew no end as it fired a hidden hydro rocket at the creatures, flooding them to the ground where they stayed and did not move.

"We have not yet begun to fight!" shouted Gary, mounted on Arcanine. With Ash on Charizard and Blaine commanding Magmar, the three unlikely allies surrounded the backside of the machine, commanding their Pokemon to blast with all their might. Three columns of flame shot out and incinerated the Decimator's backside, and as it tumbled forward suddenly, a victory seemed inevitable.

"Keep firing!" shouted Tracy. "We're going for its head! Just keep surrounding it with attacks! We can slowly wear it down if we just keep being persistent!" Lenneth and Ritchie, who were with him at the time, nodded their heads in agreement and helped their older friend attack, one using Pikachu and the other using an unusual source of energy not found in normal humans. The Cosmos Decimator was actually petrified briefly as Lenneth commanded her unusual gifts, but it did not last.

The poor silvery-haired woman collapsed after holding the giant for only a minute, even though during this time, plenty of people and Pokemon had recovered and fought back. Of course, Brock was right at her side, asking if she was okay.

"Yes…" she managed with a smile, "but I'm very weak. That machine is far too big for me to hold on my own. I was not powerful enough… forgive me…"

"No, you did fine!" he whispered, taking her hand in his. She gave him her warmest smile, and thanked him for caring. As Brock stayed by her side, many others fought and fell just as bravely and easily, some getting back up and starting all over again. There was no way to really describe the machine's power; the best way would be to think of a nuclear reactor that could move and fight. It seemed to have limitless power and energy, and even after getting struck by every attack that the team could conceive, there were little more than dents to show for all the hard work.

And it still moved on, fighting as fiercely and mercilessly as ever, utilizing the strengths of all types of Pokemon in its dangerous rampage. It spewed fire, it gushed water and ice, it made the earth tremble and it slashed and cut with razor leaves and vine whips. It shattered the air with waves of dark energy, and blasted everything away with psychic energy, and some attacks it pulled out seemed to be a combination of every single Pokemon type out there: the Cosmos Element, it seemed.

As she laid dying, Marion Burke had warned the witnesses to her demise that her partner was even deadlier than she had been, and only now were a few people realizing this to be true. Marion had been a ferocious, demonic, insane force of raging nature that would not stop even for Death's call, but if Morrison could control the Cosmos Decimator, which was as true to its title as anything, then he was infinitely more dangerous.

And yet those that rebelled against Team Rocket and their creed, or those who just wanted to avenge their losses, all fought together despite the rising odds against them. Ash and Gary cooperated, perhaps the first time ever; former members of Team Rocket, whether they despised or trusted each other, worked hand-in-hand with people that they had fought against not too long ago. The gym leaders united for one single cause; the Elite Four stood up to declare their own challenge, and many of the fighting team felt that, if it were possible, the entire world would have fought along with them.

Gone were the Team Rocket helicopters that had been crucial in destroying the main base. They had all been taken out and destroyed long ago by the machine's wild rampage, and in a twisted show of cruelty, very few of their pilots escaped to tell about the tale. Those that did were advised to find cover, or else help in the futile struggle against the greatest threat in the world. Needless to say, said struggle was not going very well.

It seemed that every time some advantage was gained, three more were lost as the Decimator bounced back and retaliated. One by one, regardless of their strength, the rebels were thrown back and defeated, their energy waning and dropping each time they stood up. A very powerful eruption from the machine flattened everyone during one instant, slamming them to the ground only to have them tossed again as the earth shook.

"This is madness!" screamed Misty. "I don't want to sound pessimistic or anything, but there's no way we can beat this thing! It just can't be done! We'd need a miracle!"

"We can't rely on miracles, Misty!" shouted Ash, his voice sounding a hundred times more determined and mature as he stood up to face the monstrosity again. "We have to fight this thing ourselves! Remember, it's our duty to keep this world safe! Misty, what's the entire point of raising and capturing Pokemon if you can't use them for a good cause--this very cause right here!! I think this is what we've been training for all our LIVES!!!!!"

"Ash…" Misty stared back at a person who looked like Ash Ketchum and had his same name, but she knew that when he spoke and stood up against the abomination, it was not the same whiny, impatient, thickheaded boy she knew. Stirred by his words, she got to her feet despite her pain and rallied beside him.

"You're absolutely right!" she shouted (she had to, because such a commotion was going on). "We have to keep trying! Though we may fail, if we don't stand up now, then… what will happen?" Gary, also stirred by the words of his rival, stood up and supported him.

"I don't want to think about it, so I'm with you, Ashy-boy! Let's work together and take this little nuisance down for good!"

"It's a deal!" The two boys clasped hands, and stood defiant against the beast, the wind gusting out of it unable to topple them. Everyone else struggled to stand despite their injuries and the apparent hopelessness of the situation, and prepared to dive back into the fray once again, perhaps for the final time.

A thunderous explosion rocked the Cosmos Decimator, catching it off guard and sending it lurching forward.

"What in the world was that!" gawked Brock. His skin crawled with a sudden surge of adrenaline as a familiar voice came over his radar.

"Well, well… the battle of the century, and I wasn't invited?! You lads and lasses oughta be ashamed of yourselves!"

"Aaah! It's the Captain!" exclaimed Ash. "But how--"

"Hahahaha!!" The gang suddenly spotted a familiar-looking flying machine tear through the clouds, looking a thousand times stronger, more proud, and faster than it ever had been. Through their walkie-talkies, they could overheard the conversation going on at the bridge, and were filled with hope anew as the voices of Red Thatcher, Jennifer, and Joyleen gave them hope.

"Captain, nearing Team Rocket headquarters! All systems are nominal and are working at maximum efficiency!"

"Our last shot was a direct hit! Preparing the guns for another strike! Launching missiles!"

"Take that, you monster!" A barrage of missiles came out of nowhere, streaming towards the machine and crashing into its head, creating massive explosions of smoke and fire. Morrison screamed in shock as the Decimator trembled under the powerful blow, and yelled out as the Dreadnaught _Euphrates_ returned to the scene of battle.

"Wow! The crazy barbarian really came through for us!" squealed James. He and Jessie hugged each other, squishing poor Meowth in the process, who was utterly lost. Butch and Cassidy laughed out loud, Lenneth and Brock cheered, and Ash, Misty, and Gary smiled proudly as their leader and friend finally joined the fight.

"Captain, how'd you do it?" asked Tracey. "I thought the Dreadnaught was--"

"ARRRG! If there's anything you learn in this life, boy, it's that you can't keep an old sea-dog down! Didn't I tell you before that I have the best crew in the whole bloody world?! We got to fixing this thing the moment we could, and we even got Professor Oak and a few other crusty old geezers to help us out! We just got the ship back up to full power and came over as fast as we could!"

"Nearly killing ourselves in the process, sir!" snapped Jennifer bitterly. Thatcher only laughed.

"Hahahahaha! Arr, but what a glorious entrance, eh?! Now, you scurvy son of a sea slug, feel the full and mighty wrath of the uncontrollable Shark of the Skies! Jennifer, Joyleen! Prepare to fire… The RED CANNON!!!!"

"Captain, you're joking!"

"That thing's never been tested before! It could blow this entire ship apart!"

"And it could also blow that durn machine apart!" pointed Thatcher boldly. "Now what're you girls waitin' for? When your Captain gives you an order, he expects you to obey it!" The Officer and the Nurse were silent for a while, then sighed.

"That's our Captain, all right. Everything he does has to be big and grand. I swear, sir, you're going to get us all killed one of these days."

"NAWW!!!" he bellowed, laughing like a lunatic. "We'll all live to be a hundred an' eight! Now prepare the Red Cannon! And keep firing!"

"Sir, if we do that, the engine will overheat and the guns will melt!"

"BLAST IT, Officer Jennifer, I don't bloody _care!!_ We got the firepower; we may as well attack with everything we got! Hit it with everything, _everything, EVERYTHING!!!!!_" The Officer and the Nurse shrugged, and gave the order for everyone else aboard. A powerful wave of fire erupted out of the Dreadnaught, a whole salvo of salvos aimed solely at the monstrosity. Morrison screamed as the Cosmic Decimator shuddered under the flood of blasts and explosions, and it actually looked like it was backing away from the mad assault.

"Wow! What an attack!" gawked Tracey. "If only I had my pencil and pad!"

"Take a picture; it lasts longer!" replied Meowth. Lance suddenly came to his senses and turned towards the awestruck troops.

"Hey, guys! Our esteemed leader's giving that thing everything he has, but what are we doing standing around with our mouths hanging open!? Let's go and help the crazy guy!"

"Never has a better word been said!" growled Jessie happily. As the hundreds of guns on the Dreadnaught showered the Cosmos Decimator with thousands of bullets and missiles, the troops below brought out their weary Pokemon, and goaded them to give everything they had for one last final attack. The creatures, noticing that a new hope had came to them in the form of the Dreadnaught, were filled with strength again and attacked like they had never fought before.

Snarling and shrieking madly as he was being tossed and turned around, Morrison could only hang on as the machine was being assaulted from every side conceivable--and there was even more to come once the Dreadnaught's secret weapon was ready to fire. A few violent minutes passed, and the Pokemon grew weary of fighting while the Dreadnaught screamed out.

"Captain! We're losing power! Our guns are overheating! We've got to let them cool down!"

"It'll be fine, trust me!" he shouted. "I love this ship to death, but I'd give it up if it meant beating that monster and getting some sanity back in this world! Heavens to mercy, lad, why else do we got those guns _for?_ Now keep firing!"

"Sir!"

"I know what I'm doing!" he exclaimed happily, smiling that same dashing, charming, carefree smile of his. There wasn't a person alive who could stay doubtful of the Captain as he grinned at them like that, so everyone obeyed his command and kept firing, despite the alarms. Officer Jennifer, who had been keeping tabs on the hitherto-unused Red Cannon, finally saw that the ship's ultimate weapon was ready to fire.

"Captain, it's _ready!_"

"AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!!!!" he screamed, more insane and happy than anything that had ever lived. "Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it! Everybody, brace yourself like it's the end of the world, cuz' the RED CANNON is about to blow!!! Ready?"

"It's all yours, sir!"

"Aim!"

"We're aiming right at its core, sir!" Captain Red Thatcher, so giddy that he was literally squealing with delight, shed a tear of joy and screamed out the command.

"FIRE THE RED CANNON AND BLOW THAT SCURVY DOG OUTTA THE WATER!!!!!"

"Yes, sir!!" The immensely large and immensely powerful Red Cannon erupted out of its hiding spot on the ship, and shivered so much that the Dreadnaught was nearly thrown off course. It belched out its powerful blast, a beam with so much energy that it pushed the mighty _Euphrates_ almost a kilometer away, just from recoil. The very atoms and molecules in the air were burned to a crisp as the beam sailed from the ship towards the machine, and a fabulous explosion of astounding proportions erupted from where it struck. Captain Thatcher yelled his very soul out.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!!!!!!!!"

The Cosmic Decimator crumbled to pieces as the indescribable blast sliced right through it, carving a huge hole in its stomach and blasting almost all of it apart. Thatcher danced and shouted for joy as his beloved cannon struck true, and both Jennifer and Joyleen gave him a hug of congratulations.

"Captain, you did it!! We never doubted you for a second! Wonderful!!"

"G'aww, what a day it's been! Oh, crud, look! The bloody thing's still alive! Jennifer, Joyleen, this ain't the time to get mushy! We still got a fight on our hands!"

"What a shame!" smiled Joyleen brightly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were having the time of your life!" Thatcher smiled at her warmly, that loveable twinkle of mischief glimmering in both his eyes.

"My dearest Nurse, that is the understatement of my lifetime. All right, let's do it! You down there on the surface! See if you can't help us out!"

"We're giving it everything we've got, Captain!" replied Lenneth, screaming into her walkie-talkie. "The Pokemon are almost wiped out, but we're almost there! That was some blast that came from our ship!"

"Yeah, you like it?" he chuckled proudly. "That was my baby, the famous Red Cannon!"

"So _that_ was the Red Cannon! Gosh, Captain! No wonder you didn't pull it out until now!"

"Yeah… Actually, I couldn't. It took all those old fogies like a year just to build it! It's barely off the assembly line and I already used it! Hahaha!"

"That's our Captain!" she exclaimed, smiling proudly. A thunderous quake distracted her from the conversation, so she wrapped it up as quickly as possible. "Whoops, that was a nasty explosion! I'd better turn this thing off before one of us goes deaf! See you later, sir!"

"Right, over and out! Good luck, Lenneth! Let's show this creep what the invincible crew of the _Euphrates_ is all about!" Lenneth smiled and shut the transmitter off, and turned her focus back to the Decimator, which was currently receiving a taste of its own medicine. As the firepower from the Dreadnaught rained down on it, and the blasts from the Pokemon encased it in a blanket of destruction, explosions spewed out everywhere as the machine's life finally came to an end. And with one final, great, colossal blast, the machine fell to the ground and was reduced to a smoldering waste of scrap metal, flames, and smoke.

Morrison, who had been tossed out by one of the last explosions, weakly grunted as he watched everything die away…

To be continued…


	18. Valhalla

Eighteen: Valhalla

It took a long while for the wake of destruction to calm down completely, and even then, there were still lots of explosions ripping apart the remains of the Cosmos Decimator as the large crew shuffled their way past. They had finally spotted Morrison lying on the ground a few minutes ago, sometime after their initial celebration peaked. After Thatcher, Jennifer, and Joyleen stepped out of the ship amidst the roaring greeting of friends, it had been the keen-eyed Joyleen who spotted the burned man. She ran over to him, instinctively thinking about her job as a nurse and not the fact that Morrison had been an enemy ten minutes ago.

The nasty flames shooting out of the Decimator stopped her suddenly, and several people screamed for her to back away. She quickly turned around, ducked, and covered herself from any flying debris or sparks, and waited for the ruins to calm their fury. She slowly crawled over to Morrison's motionless body while on the ground, and motioned for everyone to join her as she checked his pulse.

"He's still alive, but just barely," she murmured. "If I had some help carrying him in…"

"Don't waste your strength, Nurse Joy," coughed Morrison weakly, spitting out a puff of smoke as he spoke. "I… don't intend… to live past my welcome here on this world. I figure I've done enough for one time; I don't want to go through it again a second time."

"But why?" she wondered, sounding hurt. He sighed and wearily shook his head.

"It's simple. Everything I've worked for has gone down the drain. Team Rocket split apart, and many of our most loyal agents betrayed us because of what had happened. Many of our bases are gone, and all the hard work we put into capturing those accursed Pokemon was for nothing. Heh… even those rotten tools that Marion and I risked our lives for went up in smoke. You won't be able to recover them from that rubble, I assure you…" His arm slowly lifted in the air, weakly pointing to what was left of the once-mighty machine.

"Well, I suppose that's a relief," murmured James. Morrison nodded his head.

"On top of all that," he groaned, "the six legendary machines were destroyed beyond repair. They're just junk now. The main headquarters is gone as well, totally vaporized. And even Marion…… even her…" Morrison actually choked up, his eyes squinting in pain as he clenched his fist, defiant to the end against some unknown injustice.

"It was a pitiful way for us to go," he whispered, even his strong voice slipping into frailty. "Yeah… we caused a lot of violence and hate, unnecessary grief and dissent, and I'll bet we'll be punished for it all when we die. But… you have to admit, both Marion and I were right. Human beings are just too stupid to understand anything except fighting. Just… look at the world around you…"

"That may be true," said Ash as he stepped up to the smoking man, clutching Pikachu in his arms, "but… for those people that have the wisdom to rise up out of all that, this world can be given another chance to go on. There _are_ people in the world who disagree with you, and they're working just as hard as you did to make everything worthwhile for another day. Those… are my heroes…"

"But… human history is a tale of war, ever since we were created into this world." Morrison struggled to speak, and groaned painfully as the severe wounds he had received mercilessly stabbed at him. Nurse Joyleen told him not to strain himself, but it was no use. Morrison knew that his time had come: he would pay for his ways of destruction.

"Funny, though," he whispered softly. "That man, Giovanni, he was right. Our pursuit of power only led to our own demises. Marion……… She was brutally murdered because of what she did. And in my madness, I too met my fate against those who wanted this world to be ruled in peace, not in fear. We… were wrong all this time… But it took an epic final clash to really prove it, just as always…"

"You're wrong!" snapped Misty angrily. "We never wanted _any_ of this! All of us--Ash, Brock, Gary, Lenneth, Joyleen, Jennifer, the Captain, Jessie, James, even Butch and Cassidy--we only wanted peace, and not all the fighting! _We_ were among the peaceful people who just wanted a LIFE, not an existence as we struggled to survive and fight! We were forced into it!"

"Then it's only when we _have_ to fight that humans truly show their Selves…" Everyone looked at the sagely Captain Thatcher, who could definitely be timelessly wise when he wanted to. "Aye, I see what'cha mean… Men and women are savages when they don't have anything to fight for except their own selfish means, but when we're forced into battle, whether it be to protect something or to defend oneself… aye, that's when humans are most pure. Fighting selflessly is a noble cause, my good man."

"What a bunch of sap," coughed Morrison wearily. "I didn't need to hear all this right before I expired… but oh well. After all, when I think about it, I really only have one regret I look upon with greatest sadness." The large group looked at him questionably, wondering what kind of remorse their last enemy would have.

"What's that, Mr. Successor?" wondered James. Morrison let his head fall limp to the other side, away from the group, as he stared blankly into a dusky sky.

"My only regret… is not being there with her when she died… We fought together, the two of us did… My only regret is that we didn't die together. That just makes me so miserable… Marion…" And with a final sorrowful clench of his hand, Morrison laid still, no longer able to make a fist.

For a very long time, the large group stared down at the still man, absorbed in though and emptiness. A hollow wind blew past them, fanning the flames still burning on the machine, yet there were no other sounds. Nobody even blinked; they all shared a dense silence as they gazed down at their final enemy. Jessie let out a rugged sigh.

"…It's over."

"No… not just yet," corrected Cassidy. She looked up at her archrival, a very peaceful and serious look on her face, needing only to make eye contact to get her point across. "There's one more thing for us to do."

"What's that?" wondered Brock. The redhead sighed, hanging her head as if facing a death sentence.

"…The one thing I never though Butch or I would ever have to do. Captain, is the ship in good working order?"

"Ain't she always?" he smiled. Cassidy returned it faintly.

"Good. Take us to the nearest Team Rocket base. We have a broadcast that I want the entire world to hear.

----------

_Attention, all who live in this planet of ours: Ladies, gentlemen, children, old folks… slaves and free, black and white, tall and short, brilliant and simple, aggressive and passive, loved and hated… My name is Cassidy Gene Audrey…_

And my name is Butch Gary Cooper. We were once members of the infamous Team Rocket, but a few months ago, because of certain circumstances that happened within the organization, we were forced to quit permanently and betray our beloved order. Not too long ago, every one of you received an announcement that the former Team Rocket leader had been killed and a new leader took their place. This new order… is now gone.

The ones known as Marion Burke and Morrison Glidden have been killed, one by former Rockets just like us, and the other in the heat of the final battle, which many of you witnessed on television or heard about on the radio. The Team Rocket headquarters was destroyed as well, and many of the bases and weapons are gone as well. My brothers and sisters, this signifies that the one-feared and mighty order known as Team Rocket is now dead. Everything that once held it up has been destroyed, leaving it with nothing to stand on.

Cassidy and I, two witnesses to the deaths of all three of our former leaders, thought it would be appropriate for us to send the message out to all those in the world, so they would know what had happened. The chaos and terror that you have been living under these past few months is no more! Everything that Team Rocket once stood for is gone, along with their leaders, their strength, and many of their employees. It's all gone, all of it--but we're here to make it official.

Although we are the last people who would ever proclaim such a thing, we cannot avoid what is there in front of us. Everything we knew and loved is gone, leaving us standing in the wake, confused about everything that happened and what was to come. Butch and I are still hurt over the loss, but rest assured: we will not try to resurrect Team Rocket, nor will we allow anyone else that privilege. As of this very moment, the two of us, Cassidy…

And Butch…

…Hereby proclaim, in the place of our leaders, that Team Rocket shall be eternally abolished, never to come back in any shape or form! You hear us correctly, brothers and sisters of this peaceful, liberated planet! Team Rocket is no more! Team Rocket is no more! May it be wiped clean from the annals of history and the memories of all living creatures, never to return again! Celebrate! You all have the right to celebrate! Let there be festivities and merriment for days to come! Let the bells ring, let the fireworks erupt, let your hearts sing and your souls proclaim freedom! Most importantly, beloved brothers and sisters…

Let there be peace, long and rich until the end of all generations--a peaceful world, the best reminder of what we all experienced under the thumb of terror and oppression. We beseech you, people of this planet, do not repeat what you have all lived through recently. That would be a foolish error greater than any sin or crime imaginable. And so, with that, we thank you for listening, and we wish each of you a wonderful life, however long or short it may be. Thank you, and bless you.

Cassidy and Butch quietly left the base, keeping their eyes shut and their faces down as they rejoined their comrades. Everyone gave them warm, soft smiles of respect and admiration as they appeared, and Jessie and James clapped hands.

"So that's what that was all about," she mused. Cassidy nodded her head, crossing her arms.

"Yeah… we figured there wasn't any use trying to bring back a dead organization, so we just let it die as painlessly as possible. I think everyone will receive this message a little better than the last."

"We can only hope," shrugged Butch. "There will still be those few stubborn people who'll want to pick up the pieces and try to reform Rocket, but without Giovanni or even those other two, they won't pull it off. For the most part, I think that everyone, even our most loyal members, will embrace this change."

"I never t'ought I'd see the day!" exclaimed Meowth coyly. "Who woulda t'unk dat Butch and Cassidy would be da ones who'd get ridda Team Rocket once and for all?"

"Hey, we all helped a little bit!" snorted James, balling his fist up. Jessie snarled in an agreement.

"Yeah! We didn't see you doing anything, Meowth!"

"Eh? How could I? I didn't even know youse was alive until two hours ago! Anyway, that ain't important!"

"The little ball of annoying fuzz is right," agreed James, addressing his partner. "We have more important matters to worry about, like… what in the world will we do now?"

"You mean what will _Butch and Cassidy_ do now?" pointed Jessie, specifying her archrivals. "I know that you and I are just going to follow Ash, Misty, and Brock around until we're all grown up. I've bonded too closely to them to change, and besides, it might be _fun_ to be on a Pokemon adventure!" She smiled slyly, waving away her red hair with a chuckle. Butch and Cassidy snorted.

"You don't need to worry about us, Jessica," said Butch. "Although we'd never get caught dead wandering around with you peons, I suppose we can just start a new life. Hey, Gary?"

"Yeah?"

"You looking for traveling companions?" The young rusty-haired boy thought about it and gave Butch a wicked smile. Both Ash and James caught onto the conspiracy and revolted.

"No WAY!!" they screamed. "If Gary teams up with Butch and Cassidy, it'll be just one great big rivalry! That would be too terrible to bear!"

"Oh, be quiet," moaned Jessie and Cassie simultaneously. They gave each other a look and snarled wildly. Brock and Lenneth sighed.

"It kinda makes sense, though, when you think about it," he shrugged. "I mean, since Ash is with Jessie and James now, it's only fitting that his rival Gary is with _their_ rivals, Butch and Cassidy! I mean… it just fits!" Everyone gave him a strange look, somehow taken aback by his sudden wisdom (sort of). Lenneth chuckled.

"I think it makes sense. Yes, you're right! Our group needs a few more rivals to it than just Mr. Oak!" Brock gave her a confused look.

"Huh? What do you mean by 'our group'?"

"Oh, silly!" she giggled, smiling warmly. "Do you think that after everything we've been through, I would just go back to my boring life with Captain Thatcher?"

"_Boring?!?!_"

"Not a chance!" continued Lenneth, paying no heed to her baffled Captain. "I want to journey with you and everyone else, Brock! I know you'll let me, so there's really no argument!" Brock stared back at her in awe, not believing a word she said. His dream of getting a solid girlfriend was coming true right before his eyes, and on top of that, she actually _wanted_ to spend time with him! Poor dear sweet loveable Brock couldn't help but leap high into the air and scream out a powerful YAHOO!!

"I guess we'll have to make room for one more!" chuckled Misty. Captain Thatcher sighed.

"And we'll make room for one less! Ah, Lenneth, my precious little girl! Be ye leaving our nest already?" She gave him a sweet smile, though there was some heartbreaking pain in her eyes.

"Sorry, Captain, but it was bound to happen someday. Don't worry, we'll definitely see each other again, just not that often!"

"Aye, ah know!" he chuckled, winking at her as he poked the air with his pipe. "And hey, ya better invite me to the wedding or else!"

"Wedding?" Both Brock and Lenneth blushed profusely, and even Ash knew what the crazy pirate was talking about. Thatcher decided that it would be best for him and his crew to return to the town where Ash had first met him, where they would rest for awhile before heading out on their next adventure. Everyone gave the sea-dog a fond farewell, many of them giving him hugs and even kisses on the cheek. Thatcher's powerful arms suffocated poor James.

"Jim, milad, I'll miss ye like the gull misses the sea air! Yer a sissy, but a fine man to have in a fight, and you can make me laugh me own pants off!" James shrieked and wailed, and not because he was choking to death from the bear hug.

"Oh, goodness, what a horrible thought!!" Everyone laughed out loud, and with a final farewell, Thatcher boarded the Dreadnaught with Jennifer and Joyleen at his side like always. The mighty vessel tore off into the sky, towards the horizon, already eager for the next big adventure.

"Oh dear," sighed Jessie, her eyes misty, "I'm going to miss that barbaric man."

"Yeah… he was great…" Misty smiled and agreed with her friend; James and Ash shrugged and gave each other confused looks.

"Like I said before," pointed Brock, "a woman's heart is a fickle thing."

"I heard that," sighed Gary. "Well, it's been a real blast, but I'd better get back to my Pokemon journey! I've got a long way to go before I'm the greatest, and you'd better not disappoint me when we finally square off, Ash!"

"Huh?" Gary gave his rival a smile, but for once, it didn't hold his usual cockiness.

"I underestimated you, Ketchum. You're definitely a worthy opponent, and if you keep up this maturity thing, I just might find myself in trouble. Until we meet again, Ash." Gary smiled and extended his hand, and Ash mirrored both actions, taking it and shaking it firmly.

"Until we meet again! Wherever or whenever that may be!" They both smiled and nodded their heads, and once again parted ways. Everyone else also went down their own paths after that: the gym leaders returned to their towns and began helping reconstruct, the Elite Four vowed to travel around the world and help the rebuilding effort, and both Tracey and Ritchie bade their friends a lengthy and somewhat emotional farewell.

When it was down to Ash, Brock, James, Jessie, Lenneth, and Misty again, the six of them breathed in the deep, rich scent of the afternoon sun, stretching out to greet the relieved world before them.

"What a trip it's been…" sighed James. "So many things happened to us in such a short amount of time! I can't believe it's been little over a year now since Jessie and I joined you! It seems we've been running into trouble ever since then!"

"Yes, trouble indeed," agreed Ash. "But thanks to you two, we were always prepared for it--and even double!" James laughed merrily, amused that the old (but still good) Team Rocket motto was being used so kindly.

"Ah, Ash… you are a good friend, indeed…"

"Hey, what are you two boys clowning around for?!" snapped Jessie and Misty. "Your archrivals are out there somewhere, making a name for themselves! Are you just going to _stand_ there and do nothing?!?!" The two young men froze, as if they had been caught sleeping on the job, and smiled weakly as they apologized.

"No, no, we're going! We're going! See?" They quickly gathered their things again, their respective female counterparts behind them, "encouraging" them all the way, with Brock and Lenneth in the rear.

"It's always the same," he sighed. "But I guess that's okay. Some things are best when they don't change. Or… maybe they're not." To prove his point, he slipped his hand into Lenneth's, smiling softly as their fingers clasped.

"Yeah… oh hey! Don't the heroes usually ride off together in the sunset? We can't do that! It's afternoon!"

"We don't need to!" replied Ash, waving his hand in the air. "Sunsets are reserved for whenever the story ends! This one is just beginning!"

"Enough with the corny lines!" screamed Misty, giving him a smack on the head. "I swear, if you say one more thing like that…"

"But I thought it was appropriate for the time!"

"It sounded stupid! 'Just the beginning'! That's something a little kid would say!"

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Misty!"

"You sure are acting like one!"

"Hey, stop arguing! My ears hurt!"

"James, stop being such a weenie!"

"I'm _not_ a weenie~!"

"Yes you are!"

"Well you're too loud!"

"NO I'M NOT!!!"

"And you're lazy!"

"Misty!!! I'm doing my best here!"

"You can't possibly be doing your best! If you were doing your best, Gary would be beaten!"

"Yeah! And we can't let Cassidy get ahead of us either!"

"Oh, what's the big deal? It's such a nice day…"

"HURRY UP, JAMES!"

"GROW UP, ASH!"

"Yeah, there definitely hasn't been any changes here," murmured Brock. Lenneth giggled and rested her head on his shoulder as she followed her friends. She thought that Ash's comment was awfully touching, and she knew that deep down inside, Misty did too.

Jessie was another story.

To be concluded…


	19. Epilogue: Dawn

Epilogue: Dawn

__

Ten years passed.

Everyone for miles around could hear the festivities going on. There were streamers and confetti in the air, bands playing loud, people shouting and cheering, and the voice of a single announcer rising above them all, drawing them in like a siren. It was a beautiful, gorgeous summer afternoon in Pallet Town, the perfect time and place for a Pokemon Tournament. But this was no ordinary event--many people had been waiting a very long time to see it.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" shouted the tournament announcer. "Welcome all to what promises to be the greatest Pokemon match of our generation! This one match has been over twenty years in the making, and it promises to finally settle the score between two lifelong rivals, both of whom we have watched and cheered for ever since they began their quest to become Pokemon Masters, so many years ago!

"Of course, I'm talking about the great Gary Oak, grandson of Professor Oak himself, and the marvelous Ash Ketchum, who made a name for himself traveling on one of the most perilous adventures ever! These two have been rivals ever since they were toddlers, and though time has quelled their maelstrom into a solid friendship, they're _still_ looking to settle the score once and for all! Who will emerge victorious and claim rights to the world's greatest Pokemon trainer? We'll find that out later today, as soon as the events begin!"

From out of a small but simple house came a strapping young man, tall and sunny with a glint of childish wonder still in his eyes. He had rich black hair that spiked out everywhere and trailed down to his back slightly into a tail, and a face eager for bright futures and big challenges. He wore a simple black shirt and jeans, opting not to take his blue jacket or red cap that day, and smiled warmly as the sun fanned on his face. Somewhere in his early twenties, the young man was a bundle of hope and anticipation as he prepared himself to face his greatest challenge yet.

"Ah, what a beautiful day!" he sighed. "Now where did Pikachu get to?" A little yellow rodent scampered out after him as it was called, hopping up his body to his shoulder, where it stayed perched. The young man laughed and scratched its head.

"Oh, hey! You seem pretty eager to start the day!"

"Ash, wait up!" The young man turned around to see who called him, and saw his mother running towards him, still very beautiful and very doting on him even after all those years. She stopped suddenly, trying to catch her breath as she presented him with his backpack.

"Huh? Oh, did I forget something?" he asked. His mother nodded her head.

"I don't want you running off without these supplies again. Can you imagine what would happen if you were suddenly in the middle of a match and you forgot to pack medicine, or an extra change of clothes, or money for your lunch?" Ash grinned sheepishly and lifted his backpack over his shoulders, feeling the weight of the dozens of items his mother always seemed to stuff in there.

"You're right… what would I ever do without ya, ma?"

"I'd personally hate to find out!" called a voice from afar. Ash turned around and saw another young man close to his age, tall and modeled well from years of traveling. He had very short rusty-red hair, and wore a short-sleeved dark blue shirt, as well as a serious look. "So are you gonna take forever or are you gonna hurry up?" he asked impatiently.

"I'm doing the best I can, Gary," muttered Ash defensively. "I just wanted to make sure I was ready before I started out."

"Yeah, but you take forever and a day to do it!" he complained. Ash gave his lifelong rival an apologetic smile, but soon the tables were turned on young Oak as his famous grandfather came running towards him, wheezing and panting hard as he waved several papers in the air.

"Gary! (cough, wheeze) Gary! You forgot your registration data!" Gary's face flushed in shock as he suddenly remembered the papers he needed.

"Darn it, gramps! How come you let me come all this way without telling me? I could've made myself look like a fool! What would I have done when I got all the way there and figured out I didn't have it?!"

"Well, they're _your_ responsibility, Gary," stated the Professor, waving the papers in front of his grandson's face. "I may be getting slow and forgetful in my old age, but even I wouldn't be caught in a Pokemon tournament without these!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Gary mumbled and swiped the pages from his grandfather; Ash's mother chuckled.

"It seems both our boys are very forgetful these days."

"Aw, _moooom!_" His mother and mentor shared a chuckle; Gary, having been humbled enough for one day, snorted and prepared his luggage.

"Hmph. Let's go, Ash. I've been waiting my whole life for this moment, and nothing's going to stop it, not even your uncanny ability to be slow."

"Hey, who's slow?" he defended. "I'm just cautious! I've learned a lot since I was a kid! And I'm still learning even now!"

"Well could you learn a little faster?" groaned Gary sourly. "We're gonna be late if we don't hurry!" The impatient young man sprinted ahead of his rival, leaving Ash behind as always. He merely shook his head.

"Gary… the tournament's not for another hour… What's the rush?"

-----

Since the tournament was taking place in the hometown of the two main participants, it didn't take either of them long to arrive. The entire place was crowded and thick with population, many of who had heard of the exploits of the two boys during the dark days of Team Rocket. They were both greeted with a wild cheer as nearly two thousand people shouted and waved at them. Ash and Gary couldn't help but smile, barely able to keep their humility.

"It's quite a turnout," noted Gary. Ash smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah… and to think they came to see _us!_"

"Well can you blame them? My boys are some of the best Pokemon trainers ever!" Ash smiled happily as he recognized the lovely voice, and turned around to see an image of beauty smiling back at him. She was a thin girl, almost as tall as he was and twice as radiant in the face. She had gorgeous auburn hair that flowed freely down to her shoulders, and wore a sleeveless yellow shirt with short shorts over her long legs. She and Ash both embraced tightly as they were reunited again.

"Misty!! You came! Gary, my girlfriend came all the way from Cerulean just to watch us!"

"Of course I did, Ashley," replied Misty with a warm smile, touching his nose playfully. "I wouldn't miss this event for anything! Besides, we don't even live that far away."

"Oh, must've forgotten," he chuckled, plainly joking. Misty giggled and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Silly boy… You were never a smart guy, but you sure were brave."

"Aww…" Gary, feeling brutally ignored, let out a rude cough to separate the two.

"Uh, _ahem_. Misty, aren't you gonna let go of the little squirt and give me a hug?"

"Maybe," she said, looking and sounding very serious. He growled quietly.

"Hmph. I'm as much your friend as Ash is."

"But _you two_ aren't dating, and we are!" taunted Ash, pointing a finger at his rival. Gary frowned and snorted even louder than before.

"Ha! Who needs it? I've got my entourage to fawn over me! And they should be here any minute!! They're just… uh… being held up by traffic, that's all!"

A pause. Misty sighed and gave the poor guy a hug.

"Oh, don't get yourself tied up in a knot. I missed you too, Gary."

"Thanks." The friends smiled as they shared an embrace, and soon another familiar voice joined them.

"Hey, pretty lady, don't I get a hug?" Misty turned around, gasping with delight as she saw an older man smiling at her, his fully-grown body tanned from years of working outdoors and his hair slicked back into a cool-looking ponytail. He was wearing a casual surfer shirt with shorts, and clasping quietly to his elbow was a beautiful silvery-haired woman, mature and tall with a gentle look to her radiant face.

"Brock! Lenneth! Oh, you made it!" Misty and Ash both ran forward to hug their two friends, and even Gary joined in as soon as it looked like there was room. Both Brock and Lenneth returned their embraces warmly, barely able to speak because of the joyful happiness of reuniting with old friends. Lenneth winced slightly as Misty bumped into her as she hugged her old friend.

"Ooh, careful… the baby's been restless these past few weeks."

"Sorry…" Smiling, Misty gently knelt down and examined Lenneth's protruding belly. The child was definitely due soon, so the silvery-haired girl had been taking things easy for a while. "Wow… it's really coming along! Have you thought of a name yet?"

"We thought we'd give the baby a name when it was born," replied Brock. "I'm naming it if it's a boy, and Lenneth's naming it if it's a girl."

"So you don't even know what it's gonna be?" asked Ash. The couple smiled and shook their heads.

"We want it to be a surprise… but we'll love it all the same when it arrives…" Lenneth smiled warmly, and began to stroke her abdomen gently, glowing radiantly as all mothers-to-be usually did during the twilight years of their pregnancy. Brock, always one to instigate in the middle of a tender moment, shuffled forward and whispered something to Ash.

"(So have you and Misty had any children yet?)"

"(Brock, we're just going out on dates!)" he hissed sharply. Brock gave his longtime friend an annoying, slightly perverse chuckle.

"(Yeah, well, you gotta make progress sometime, Ash!)"

"Oh, whatever!"

"What are you boys talking about over there?" wondered Misty. They both turned around and gave the redhead deceptively innocent looks.

"_No~thing, Mis~ty!_"

"HA! What a joke!" screeched a voice from above.

"We can smell deceit a mile away!"

"And it reeks!"

"What?" The five of them jerked around, spotting two people standing on a car, clouding the sun from their view.

"Who are those people?" wondered Ash. He quickly got his answer.

"Prepare for double!"

"And make it double!"

"Oh, wow! James, Jessie! Come on down here! We haven't seen you two since you got married!" The duo suddenly fell flat on the car, slipped off, and groaned miserably as they tried to stand back up. They had barely changed at all through the years, except for gaining a little more mass and some additions and subtractions to their hairstyle: Jessie's was flowing and free, while James' was much shorter than before.

"Ohh, how _could_ you? You ruined our big entrance!" wailed Jessie. The gang chuckled and embraced their friends warmly.

"We're sorry," apologized Misty, "but when you give away who you are so easily, it doesn't take long to figure out who you were!"

"We've missed you both so much!" exclaimed Ash, giving James a hug. He blushed humbly and returned it. Meowth, just as graceful as always, leaped down from the same car, with a young child clasping his paw.

"Ta-daa! Meowth, that's right!"

"Mowf! Dat's wight!" mimicked the child. Everyone looked at Meowth as if (clichéd or not) he had let the cat out of the bag.

"Your timing stinks, Meowth," said Brock. Meowth groaned and hung his head; the child mimed his moves perfectly. Jessie sighed and plucked the little boy up off the ground, carrying him in her arms. He had short spiky hair, as red as his mother's, but the face and constitution of his father.

"So this is little Clark, eh?" Misty smiled and tickled the boy's chin, earning a giggle as the child reached out and grabbed her finger. Noticing how good the young woman was with kids, Lenneth joined her and ruffled the toddler's hair.

"He looks just like his mommy and daddy! Amazing… But we feel so left out of things! You never invited us to showers or birthdays or anything! Why was that?"

"We've been busy," sighed James wearily, looking up to the sky for sympathy. "A toddler isn't easy to raise, and it's been tough for us to find a good job ever since Team Rocket went south. But we managed well."

"_Too_ well for our taste!" snapped a pair of familiar voices. Jessie and James groaned miserably, and turned around to see their lifelong archrivals, Butch and Cassidy, glaring back at them with a wicked smile each.

"Oh… it's just the two of you."

"'Just the two of us'? Grr…" Butch snarled and clenched his fist, but the dam couldn't hold forever, so the two rushed forward to give their rivals and friends a pair of hearty embraces each. Misty and Lenneth smiled at each other warmly as their friends greeted each other, both of them glad than any enmity between the four had been settled years ago. Butch and Cassidy were soon joined by everyone else in greeting, and soon the gang was whole.

"Mama! Poppy! Want to pway wiff Loof!" Jessie looked down at little Clark, pulling on her pants leg and looking up with irresistible eyes of blue. She smiled lovingly and picked her son up.

"You wanna play with Lewis?" she asked, kissing its nose. Clark affirmed it with a broad smile, and was soon released to play with Lewis, the young daughter of Butch and Cassidy. Ash and Gary smiled warmly as the offspring of their close friends played together without a care in the world.

"There goes the next batch of great Pokemon trainers!" exclaimed Gary. "Wow! They must have the traits of their parents, right down to the last detail! Hey Ash, you think if they grow up and get married, they'll make a really great Pokemon trainer?"

"You're thinking way too far ahead for me, Gary!" replied Ash with a smile. Butch, Cassidy, James, and Jessie all smiled weakly, dreading what their friend had suggested.

"Oh, brother… They're barely three and already somebody wants to see them get married!"

"It's just a strange time for us all, Cass," shrugged Butch. She smiled at him, and leaned forward to give him an unexpected kiss.

"Not _too_ strange, I hope."

"Naww!" The entire gang laughed out loud, and spent a few more minutes getting reacquainted with each other. It had been at least three months since any of them had seen each other--there was a longer time of separation from Jessie and James, of course--but it was still just like old times again as the entire group, aged ten years since the elimination of Team Rocket, got together to experience adventure and life once again. Ash, however, quickly noticed that there was a great big silent void in the gathering, one that had not been filled for over four years.

"Huh? What's wrong, Ash?" asked Misty, sensing her boyfriend's troubles. He sighed and frowned.

"Well… it just isn't the same without you-know-who. I mean, I'm overjoyed to see that our friends were able to make it here, but I still wish that _everyone_ could've made it." Knowing just whom he was referring to, Misty placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Ash… they're all very busy people. They have jobs and lives too, and even though they're our friends, we can't expect them to come to _every_ event of our lives."

"……Yeah…"

"Arr! Don't'cha know anything, lad?! You can't keep a scallywag away for _that_ long!!" Everyone smiled broadly as the familiar voice shouted out to them, and yelled happily as they saw the inspiring image of Captain Red Thatcher, standing there proudly in his button-down red coat, wild fiery hair, shining boyish eyes, black boots, and omnipresent corncob pipe. He grinned at them, knowing full well that his visit was unexpected, and extended his arms so that everyone could give him a hug. The poor old sea-dog, who had aged a bit since he had last ventured with his crew, still had the strength to laugh and fight merrily as he was bowled over by the group.

"D'arr!! Whoa! What a reception! May my timbers be shivered til' my spirit is claimed by the sea! Y'all must've missed me more than I miss the ocean when I'm on land too long! Great to see ya!"

"It's wonderful to see you too, Captain!" squealed Lenneth happily. "But how in the world did you make it here? We thought you were busy running dangerous errands for the government!" The burly old Captain laughed wildly, letting his body quiver as he growled merrily.

"Hahahahahaaaa!! What, do you people think I'm so disloyal and ungrateful to me own crew that I'd blow them off forever?! What manner of being do ya _take_ me for!? I wouldn't miss this grand spectacle for all the treasures of the sea! Blimey, it's great seein' all yer smilin' faces again, specially yours, my dear Lenneth!" Lenneth smiled warmly and blushed slightly as Thatcher kissed her hand. Brock and Gary slapped his arms and asked the one question that everybody had been expecting.

"So where's Officer Jennifer and Nurse Joyleen?"

"Aww, they're off somewhere havin' fun," he replied, waving his hand in the air. Thatcher suddenly jumped out of his skin as he heard a female voice call out to him.

"Darling? Huh? Oh, there you are! I've been looking for you! You know, despite that big coat you always wear, you can hide really well when you need to!" Thatcher winced as if he had committed some crime and had been discovered of it as none other than Officer Jennifer rushed over to him, looking prettier than ever now that she had ten more years on her shoulders.

"Oh, there she is," pointed Brock. He waved fanatically, and Lenneth (who was far from jealous of her attention, unlike most other girls who would have been) waved at her as well. Jennifer smiled at Thatcher as she rejoined him, giving him a look somewhere between annoyance and happiness.

"You'll be the end of this police officer one of these days, darling."

"Jennifer! Not here!" he growled softly. Jessie tilted her head in confusion.

"Hm? What did she mean when she said 'darling'?"

"Uh, well, uh…"

"Oh, you mean he didn't tell you?" said the police officer (with poor Thatcher looking petrified for some reason). "Darred and I were married a few years ago. I don't know why he never told anyone…"

"_MARRIED?!?!?!_" Needless to say, the shock on everyone's face was a sight to see. James actually laughed.

"You mean to tell me that that great big barbaric loudmouth of a pirate actually convinced the beautiful and delicate Officer Jennifer to _marry_ him?! And you _accepted???!!!_"

"Of course I did!" she piped. "He may not look like it, but Darred, or just Red as he likes to be called, is really a kind, handsome, noble, warmhearted, polite gentleman on the inside. He just likes to act like a wild man from time to time."

"Jennifer~!" wailed poor Thatcher. He rolled his eyes, his face not quite sure which emotion to express or which defense to utter. Jennifer only chuckled and patted his arm.

"What? Am I embarrassing you? Are you ashamed of your own wife?" Thatcher sighed miserably, hanging his head as if he really were ashamed.

"Jen… You… couldn't have come at a worse time…"

"So you two really got married, huh?!" squawked Ash, smiling brightly. Thatcher nodded his head and managed to smile.

"Well, you know… These things do happen… It does seem a little weird, especially since we've been working together for years, but… aw, well, I just couldn't bear it any longer. I loved this woman too much to do anything else. But don't'cha be gettin' the wrong idea here!" He glared and pointed at all of them, the fiery look back in his eye as he towered over him. "There ain't no woman alive that can tame me or keep me tied down! I ain't settled down with anyone, not now or ever! I'm gonna be a wild and free spirit until my body sinks to the sea and stays there!!"

"Hey, that doesn't sound very nice!" wailed James. "Officer, are you going to take all that just standing there?"

"Of course!" she replied, grinning. "Why else do you think I married him??" James froze in confusion, and for the life of him, he just couldn't understand.

"…Never mind. It's none of my business. Congratulations are in order, I guess…" The whole gang laughed--not because James was still a little bit pathetic, but because he was so loveably funny. Jessie gave him a tender hug and kissed his cheek.

"You're so sweet…"

"Aww, what a bunch of baloney!" scoffed Gary. He snorted and turned his back on the group, apparently heading towards the combatant's area. Ash called out to him and asked where he was going. "Well, duh! The match is about to begin! While you were out associating with our friends, time passed you by! If you don't hurry, you'll be late--as usual!" Ash smiled meekly as everyone broke out in laughter again.

"All right, all right. Be patient Gary, if you can. I have just one more thing to do before that." He then turned towards Misty, and took her small, delicate hands into his. She smiled at him, ready to offer any words of encouragement to her boyfriend before his big match--but what she received was something far more unexpected. "Misty… you're a precious part of my life. You always have been, and I want you to stay that way forever. We were close friends as kids, we grew together both in body and mind, and we shared so much happiness and joy. I found a true, strong love when I asked you out that one day so many years ago, and I've been the happiest man in the world ever since."

"Just what are you getting at, Ashley Ketchum?" she asked playfully. Ash swallowed, clasping her hands tighter, and knelt down on the floor.

"I'm getting at this, Misty of Cerulean City: will you continue to be a precious part of my life, and do me the happy honor of becoming my wife? Please?" Misty gasped in awe, so taken aback by the sudden question that she almost fell down on the floor. Of course, everyone else gasped along with her, and held their breath as they stared at the sudden scene of romance, anticipating her answer. It was worth their wait.

"Oh, Ash… Ash…! Of… of course I'll marry you! Of course! Oh, Ash, I thought you'd never ask! Yes!" She tumbled forward and grabbed his body in a viciously loving hug, holding him close as they kissed passionately and deeply, amidst the applause of dear friends. Their lips finally parted, their eyes warm and watery as they looked at each other, and met again once more as they sealed the long-overdue pact.

"I love you so much…" they whispered, though it was impossible to tell who said it first. Congratulations went all around, and as the couple stood up with so many people surrounding them and smiling at them, they kept their hands held tight and their eyes locked onto each other. Somewhere in the happy confusion, a ring had found its way to Misty's finger.

"Hey, you'd better go before the match starts without you," she reminded him. Ash chuckled happily and caressed her gorgeous face softly.

"Heheheh… you'll make a wonderful wife, Misty. I guess I'll see you after this is all over. Hey, dinner's on me, okay?"

"No way! The best man always buys!" shouted Brock. Ash laughed out loud and accepted the offer.

"Sure, sure! I didn't have all that money anyway!"

KER-PLOP!!! Everyone fell over flat on the ground, taken by surprise.

"Oh, Ash, you're such a knucklehead…" Misty groaned at her fiancé as she nursed a bump on her head, but he only smiled.

"Aww, you love me and you know it!" She snickered at him weakly, giving him a thumbs up and a blown kiss as he bade his friends farewell. When he joined a very impatient Gary at the main entrance, he found his rival and friend with a very peaceful smile.

"Hey Ash."

"Hmm?" Gary gave the younger boy a thumbs-up.

"Congratulations. She's a very lucky woman. I wish I had a girlfriend that great."

"Thanks. You know, Nurse Joyleen is still single!"

"Well, not for long!" he shouted happily. "Come on, Ash! Let's have some fun! Just you and me, the way it was meant to be! Loser buys lunch!"

"Okay, but I've been known to eat a lot!" Ash laughed as he followed his rival and friend up onto the main arena, just in time to hear hundreds of screaming fans welcoming their hometown heroes. Each boy produced a Pokeball, and smirked at each other as they waited for their long-awaited match to begin.

"Gentlemen, are you ready?!" shouted the announcer.

"YES!!"

"Then let this Pokemon Battle BEGIN!!! Ready, START!!!!"

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Nidoking, I choose you!"

"GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Ah, just look at them down there," sighed Jessie nostalgically, her hand clasped with James'. He smiled and nodded his head.

"It's so wonderful to know that some things really don't change," he agreed. Misty, giving them both a fond smile as she rubbed her ring, had to disagree.

"I don't know, you guys. There are always those things that do change, and when they do, it's for the better." They smiled and agreed with her, knowing just what she was referring to. As the match became heated and intensified to a ferocious rush, Misty took in a deep breath and looked up into the blue sky, watching clouds pass by overhead as the future smiled down upon all of them, as bright and warm and happy as the afternoon summer sun, high up above.

****

THE END


End file.
